Three-quarters (74%) of Arizona voters support action by Arizona's governor if the state legislature
does not enable rural communities to regulate their
groundwater
WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- A poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of
the Walton Family Foundation shows almost 9 in 10 voters (88%)
are concerned about groundwater supplies in Arizona and believe that limiting
unregulated groundwater pumping should be a priority for the state.
Almost three-quarters (74%) think the Governor should use
existing laws to manage rural groundwater if the Arizona State
Legislature fails to enable rural communities to regulate their own
groundwater.
Only 34% of Arizonans believe the state will have enough
water to support its population in 15 years. Only 13%
believe Arizona will have enough
water in 50 years. Almost all (92%) of voters say that
Arizona needs to prioritize the
health of rivers and streams to address Arizona's drought and decreasing groundwater
supplies.
"Arizonans are saying loud and clear they want the state to take
more action to protect its vital rivers and streams, regulate
groundwater pumping and recognize the rights of Tribal Nations,"
said Moira Mcdonald, Environment
Program Director of the Walton Family Foundation. "Arizonans
are looking for bold action to ensure there is enough water in the
state now and for future generations."
Other key findings from the poll include:
- There is consensus among Arizonans that drought and water
shortages (87%) and lowering water levels in the Colorado River
(84%) are serious issues for the state.
- 85% of Arizonans believe that new urban developments should be
required to prove they have a 100-year water supply.
- Arizonans overwhelmingly support the needs of Tribal Nations.
Almost 9 in 10 (88%) voters believe Tribal nations deserve to
have their water rights recognized by state and federal
governments. Three in four (76%) say tribes should be able to
access all the water on their land.
- 80% agree urgent action is needed and
Arizona should invest now in
groundwater management to safeguard our water resources.
- 92% say funding the Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality and the Arizona Department of Water Resources should be a
priority for the state.
Polling Methodology:
This poll was conducted between
May 3 - May 8, 2024 among a sample of
800 registered voters in Arizona.
The interviews were conducted online and the data were 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 was provided by Beck
Research.
About the Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family
Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three
generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work
together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity
for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving
education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they
support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the
Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more,
visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow us
on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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SOURCE Walton Family Foundation