Ariz. voters support water conservation funding, farms over tech

• 91% of Arizona voters are worried about the Colorado River’s future.
• Most residents prefer collaboration over lawsuits for water solutions.
• Voters back restoring rivers, wetlands, and groundwater recharge.
• Agriculture and municipal water reuse also receive strong support.

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 — As negotiations continue over the Colorado River’s future, a new poll shows that Arizonans overwhelmingly want the state and region to invest in long-term water resilience and conservation. The survey, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Walton Family Foundation, gathered responses from nearly 800 registered voters in Arizona and revealed a strong consensus: residents are concerned about both surface and groundwater supplies, and they want practical, cooperative solutions, not litigation.

Broad Support for Conservation Funding.

According to the poll released June 23, 2025, 91% of Arizona voters expressed concern about the Colorado River’s ability to continue supplying water to the state. Over half said they were “very concerned.” Similarly, 89% of respondents expressed concern about Arizona’s groundwater situation. The vast majority agreed that the state should protect at-risk groundwater basins, either by providing new tools for local communities or designating new Active Management Areas.

In response to these concerns, 88% of voters said Arizona should dedicate annual funding to support water conservation and resilience projects.

Collaboration Preferred Over Legal Battles.

A striking 86% of voters indicated that cooperation among Colorado River Basin states is the best path forward. They believe “real solutions to Colorado River water shortages are possible through collaborative agreements between states rather than lawsuits,” according to the Walton Family Foundation.

Moira Mcdonald, Environment Program Director at the Foundation, emphasized the urgency: “Arizonans live with the realities of climate change impacting water resources every day. So, it’s no surprise that they recognize that the fate of the Colorado River impacts all Basin states and that real solutions require long-term funding, collaboration, and a shared commitment.”

Voter Priorities: Drinking Water, Farms Over Tech and Mining.

When asked about priorities for limited water supplies, 74% of Arizonans said the state should prioritize drinking water and food production. Only 19% felt water should be reserved for industries such as artificial intelligence data centers and computer chip production. Mining operations received similarly low support at 21%.

Backed Strategies for a Resilient Water Future.

Support was also strong for a variety of water management strategies. Among them:

• 84% endorsed forest management and restoration to protect headwaters.

• 83% supported on-farm conservation, infrastructure upgrades, and switching to less water-intensive crops.

• 83% approved of municipal conservation efforts such as wastewater recycling and replacing lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping.

• 81% backed restoration of wetlands, meadows, and riparian areas.

• 79% favored efforts to slow river flows, reestablish native plants, and recharge groundwater.

Survey Methodology.

The poll was conducted online between June 11 and June 17, 2025, and included 799 registered voters in Arizona. Data was weighted to reflect a representative sample based on demographics and voting history. The margin of error is approximately ±3 percentage points. Beck Research provided additional analysis.

The full results are available at: www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org

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