Arizona Explores Desalination Projects in Mexico's Sea of Cortez to Address Water Shortages
Arizona is investigating proposals from desalination companies to extract water from Mexico's Sea of Cortez to alleviate its severe water shortages, particularly from the Colorado River. Two companies, EPCOR Water Innovation Partners and Acciona, have presented projects to Arizona's Water Infrastructure Financing Authority (WIFA). These proposals involve building massive desalination plants in Mexico, either off the coast of San Felipe or near a geothermal power plant in Baja California, or in the Mexican state of Sonora. The desalinated water would remain in Mexico, and in exchange, Arizona would gain the right to take a larger portion of Mexico's share of the Colorado River water. This 'paper water' exchange aims to replace a significant portion of Mexico's annual Colorado River allocation. The state of Arizona faces substantial cuts to its Colorado River water supply under a federal plan to address critically low water levels.