Poll: Arizonans Unified on Urgent Need to Strengthen Protections for Groundwater Supplies

The Walton Family Foundation, in collaboration with Morning Consult, released a poll today revealing that 85% of Arizonans agree that the state should do more to manage groundwater in all parts of the state and 79% agree that Arizona can’t address its water crisis without safeguarding all groundwater supplies.

Virtually all Arizonans (92%) say it is a priority for the state to invest in large-scale conservation to keep more water in the Colorado River to ensure long-term, stable water supplies and 90% want to prioritize boosting restoration projects that improve river and stream flows to create more sustainable water sources. 89% of Arizonans also agree that substantial investments in water conservation are key to the state’s economic well-being.

“Arizonans are unified in their belief that we need to do more to protect groundwater supplies throughout the state, including rural Arizona, and that we need to take decisive action to keep more water flowing in the Colorado River,” said Moira Mcdonald, Environment Program Director of the Walton Family Foundation. “The vast majority of Arizona’s water supplies come from groundwater sources and the Colorado River. The future of the state will be determined by actions we take now to protect these vital resources before it is too late.”

Arizonans Overwhelmingly Support Stronger Regulations Protecting Groundwater Supplies
86% of Arizonans say it is a priority for the state government to put in place stronger regulations that will prevent groundwater supplies from being depleted from over-pumping and 81% agree that the state needs to act now to invest in groundwater management to safeguard the state’s water resources.

75% of Arizonans across the political spectrum agree that unlimited groundwater pumping in rural Arizona should be regulated. Democrats (85%); Independents (75%); Republicans (64%) agree that unlimited groundwater pumping in rural Arizonan should be regulated.

Arizonans Unified On Need To Keep More Water In the Colorado River So It’s Sustainable For Future Generations
89% of Arizonans agree that we need to do everything we can to keep more water in the Colorado River so it is a stable water source for future generations. Arizonans strongly support natural infrastructure solutions such as restoring floodplains, protecting groundwater supplies, and restoring forests to protect and preserve water supplies.

• 91% support (with 64% in strong support) restoring floodplains to better absorb rainfall and runoff and limit the impacts of flooding on communities.
• 89% support (with 64% in strong support) restoring forests to help prevent catastrophic wildfires, make us more resilient to extreme weather, and protect and preserve water resources.
• 93% of Arizonans view investments that will protect water reserves in Lake Powell and Lake Mead as very important.

“The Colorado River is central to Arizonans’ personal and economic well being. There is growing recognition that the only way to gain true water security is to make sure we invest in nature-based solutions that will keep enough water flowing in the Colorado River so it stays healthy now and for the next generation.” said Mcdonald.

Nine-in-ten (92%) of Arizonans say it is important that the Arizona State Legislature take urgent action to address the state’s water issues, including 70% who say this is very important.

View the full poll results here.

Poll Methodology

Methodology: This poll was conducted between April 6-April 10, 2023 among a sample of 813 Registered Voters in Arizona (Arizonans). The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of Registered Voters in Arizona based on gender by age, educational attainment, race, marital status, home ownership, race by educational attainment, and 2020 presidential vote. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Additional analysis provided by Beck Research.