Arizona legislative proposal affecting two rivers causes a stir

[TexasTowelie]

The Colorado and the San Pedro rivers’ futures are on the line at the Legislature due to a controversial water bill.

The bill, whose architect is Sen. Gail Griffin of Sierra Vista, would loosen requirements for an adequate water supply for new homes in rural counties.

Approval would most likely clear the way for a 7,000-home development in that city near the fragile San Pedro, the Southwest’s last free-flowing desert stream of any consequence. The development has been tied up in court by a federal lawsuit saying the state improperly found that the project has adequate water.

Under the law Griffin would change, builders can’t construct new subdivisions in counties such as Cochise County unless the state finds there is adequate water for growth.

Read more: http://tucson.com/news/local/arizona-legislative-proposal-affecting-two-rivers-causes-a-stir/article_43d31fda-d55a-57dc-9eef-5aa950324568.html

[Kali]

1. the claim that the San Pedro is the last free flowing stream

in the southwest is bullshit.

[lapfog_1]

2. mostly because it is dry as a bone

most of the year... plus there is a dam in Mexico near the headwaters.

it wouldn't hurt to remove some of the cottonwoods that line the course of the river... and restrict the agriculture ( hay fields and pasture ) too.

[Kali]

3. and the irrigation dams at St David, Pomerene, and up by Reddington. (not to mention Charleston)

and the old number that used to be thrown out with no question "90% of the riparian areas in the southwest gone" actually extrapolated from a debunked study of a small area in California.