Laws of the river

O’Neill, Brian; Poupeau, Franck; Cœurdray, Murielle; Muñoz, Joan Cortinas

doi:10.1201/b21583-8

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

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“…The MET acquires its water from the Colorado River and the San Francisco Bay and San Joaquin River Deltas. The state of California receives the largest supply of Colorado River water (4.4 MAF) among the Basin's states and has never had to cut back due to a shortage declaration (when a shortage was declared in October 2021, Arizona took the first cut-on these dynamics, see O'Neill et al, 2016). However, the MET declared drought conditions in 2009/10, and the Governor declared reductions in water use in 2015 that did impact Southern Californians.…”

Section: The Research Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water for whom? Desalination and the cooptation of the environmental justice frame in Southern California

O’Neill

2022

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

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The environmental justice frame is a key feature of successful grassroots mobilization against the uneven distribution of environmental problems. However, what happens when this discursive framework is questioned, that is, when features of its established definition are made to serve, rather than contest, industry? The article examines this dynamic through an ethnography of a high-volume desalination (potable ocean water) proposal. Findings indicate community groups and non-governmental organizations make normative environmental justice arguments about the high costs of desalination, community disruption, and industrial burden. By contrast, organized labor and public sector actors align with the private sector to promote desalination, using a competing series of arguments about local independence, regional responsibility, and employment. Disentangling these discourses, the author argues that claims in favor of desalination are a part of what this paper calls a cooptation of the environmental justice frame that ultimately facilitates community division in favor of a class bias for a luxury commodity. Interpreting this socio-ecological problem through a political economic lens, this research contributes to discussions about industrial infrastructure conceived within public–private partnership frameworks, calling scholars, activists, and decision-makers to attend to how environmental (in)justice politics can take on surprising meanings amid the expansion of financial capitalism.

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Section: The Research Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water for whom? Desalination and the cooptation of the environmental justice frame in Southern California

O’Neill

2022

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

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Long-Term Storage Credits: Analyzing Market-Based Transactions to Achieve Arizona Water Policy Objectives

Bernat

Megdal

Eden

2020

Water

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The state of Arizona has created a unique water management tool in response to water scarcity and population growth. In 1994, Arizona’s state legislature authorized the creation of long-term storage credits (LTSCs) through aquifer recharge with Colorado River water or effluent. LTSCs represent a quantity of water the owner is entitled to recover and use once the water has remained underground for a full calendar year. Owners may also sell their LTSCs to others by a simple credit account transfer. LTSCs have emerged as a tool for water users to achieve compliance with groundwater regulations in the most populated areas of the state, such as the cities of Phoenix and Tucson. Using data collected and maintained by the state’s water resources regulator, this study examines sales of LTSCs to reveal patterns of market-based transactions. Analysis of 23 years of public records shows several trends: (1) LTSC transactions have been increasing since 2003; (2) municipal water providers and investment firms have been active participants in LTSC transactions; (3) the greatest transaction volumes involve governmental entities established by state law with groundwater recharge and replenishment obligations. This analysis reveals how LTSCs have contributed to achieving water policy goals in Central Arizona and suggests how the LTSC system can be used to improve water use efficiency through voluntary redistribution in other water scarce regions.

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L’adaptation urbaine à la rareté de l’eau à Phoenix et à Tucson (Arizona) : une approche de political ecology

Boyer¹,

Lay²,

Marty³

2022

cybergeo

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Laws of the river

Cited by 5 publications

References 8 publications

Water for whom? Desalination and the cooptation of the environmental justice frame in Southern California

Water for whom? Desalination and the cooptation of the environmental justice frame in Southern California

Long-Term Storage Credits: Analyzing Market-Based Transactions to Achieve Arizona Water Policy Objectives

L’adaptation urbaine à la rareté de l’eau à Phoenix et à Tucson (Arizona) : une approche de political ecology

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