The ongoing drought in Arizona is prompting everyone to examine what lies ahead.<\/p>\n
Acquiring water in the Grand Canyon State becomes increasingly difficult as water resources dwindle, including the Colorado River.<\/p>\n
To offset the water shortages from the Colorado River, we need to look at other solutions.<\/p>\n
But one option is giving some much-needed optimism.<\/p>\n
On June 3rd, Arizona signed a memorandum of understanding with California water agencies to explore a water exchange involving desalinated ocean water from Southern California.<\/p>\n
Officials with the San Diego County Water Authority shared additional details for the memo during a news conference on June 3.<\/p>\n
This proposal is not intended to build a pipeline to transport desalinated water directly to the state. In actuality, Arizona and other partners may help fund and support an expansion of desalinated water production in California under the new proposal.<\/p>\n
The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant in California will be the center of the agreement. It’s a facility that can produce about 56,000 acre-feet of drinking water annually.<\/p>\n
The agreement aims to establish a collaborative framework to improve long-term water management. Another goal of the proposal is to advance interstate water transfers through partnerships in desalination and water purification.<\/p>\n
The MOU could prove important to water efforts as the Colorado River continues to be impacted by drought.<\/p>\n
For more information on the MOU, watch the replay of the news conference on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n >> Download the\u00a012News app<\/a> for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n Watch the 12News Streaming App for free \u00a0<\/p>\n You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere, thanks to the 12News streaming app! <\/p>\n The free 12News streaming app from 12News lets users stream live events \u2014 including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”\u2014on\u00a0Roku<\/a> and\u00a0Amazon Fire TV<\/a>. <\/p>\n 12News streaming showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. <\/p>\n Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. <\/p>\n Roku:\u00a0Add the channel from the Roku store<\/a> or by searching for “12 News KPNX.” <\/p>\n