Community growth dependent on water management
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KJZZ reported that the exotic animal park Out of Africa in Camp Verde, Arizona wants to expand to add a hotel, conference center and possibly a water park. For the water park in particular, investors would want assurances the site had a defined water source and buy-in from the community. But according to co-owner Bill Jump, they wouldn’t be able to present a long-term water plan for something so substantial as a water park.
Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU's Morrison Institute said, “We think we’re at the point where the adjudication is beginning to impact the ability of these communities to grow in the way they aspire to, and also to sustainably manage water."
Porter recently surveyed a few dozen developers and corporate site selectors for the report "The Price of Uncertainty" and found concern about water is growing. She also found that uncertainty about water often immediately disqualifies a site from consideration for investment.
READ: What Tigers And Water Have To Do With Economic Investment In Arizona
(Podcast Running Time: 4:30)