Since the 1980s, Arizona Tribes have leased water for off-reservation use by cities and industries. A Tribal water lease is an agreement through which a Tribe allows an entity to temporarily use part of the Tribe’s water allocation in exchange for payment.

Water Augmentation Series

Cora Tso is a Senior Research Fellow at Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. She researches, analyzes, and develops recommendations on Arizona Tribal water policy, focusing on Tribal Nations’ interests, needs, and opportunities in regulatory and legislative processes.

In 2024 the Kyl Center for Water Policy introduced a blog series featuring updates on Colorado River, groundwater and other water policy issues in Arizona. The next two years will be pivotal as stakeholders negotiate the reservoir operating rules that dictate Colorado River shortages in our state, and these shortages will impact our groundwater. We will try to bring some clarity through light-hearted updates featuring a movie theme. This is our second segment in this series. We hope you enjoy it!

Water Augmentation Series

Water: Blogged 

Exploring Arizona’s Water Future: Blog Series from the Kyl Center

Matt Silverman
Senior Partner
ICF

Kathryn Sorensen is the Director of Research at the Kyl Center for water policy. She focuses on Colorado River policy, groundwater management and tap water utility operations. She served as Director of Phoenix Water Services and Director of the City of Mesa Water Resources Department, overseeing the delivery of safe, reliable water to millions of Arizonans.

Sarah Porter is the Director of the Kyl Center, bringing extensive expertise in Arizona’s water policy and conservation. With a background in environmental leadership, she advocates for innovative solutions to ensure long-term water sustainability.