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<br />THE, BONI] BUYER .
<br />
<br />DALLAS .:-. With Arizonafaci{tgwhat
<br />could be'the worst-drougntin.iecorded.:his-.
<br />tory, the leader of the state's largest water
<br />provider has ~soo Gov. JanetN'apolitano
<br />'. of being "arrogant, ignorant, and' indifferent"
<br />to water issues. . , '
<br />David Wilson, gener~ tnanager of the,
<br />Central Arizona Project, said Napolitano has
<br />. not joined goveniorsin otQer states' in'call-- .
<br />ing for the federal. government to restart a de-
<br />salination plant in Yuma that could provide
<br />. the state with an additionall00,()()() acre-:f~(
<br />.' . of water per year. . . ".'
<br />"I don't often getreally angry ortijlset, but
<br />I am really angry and upset," WIlson Said dur~
<br />ing Thurschl.y'smeetingofthe Central Ari-
<br />zona Water ConsenatIDn District that over-
<br />. sees CAP ope~ations. "ThIS governor is
<br />different than others have been. Nobody can
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<br />THE REGIONS
<br />
<br />. . ..~ ..b<\! ." .>"'~"1~'f':. "''''~-:>'''''''''''':'~ '.~~\..' ...... .'.
<br />
<br />. " I don't ,often gl!. reali~ angrYQrups~t"b~t l'a~'re~II~'
<br />angry and 'upset/'saysDave. WUso'not1b.e' CentrillAtizona
<br />. ',.',',' ,'" -,.' ..',', -"".'-. ,', ....:" -, '--""";"" :'~" -: ;~"~ .,.....;: "',::,"",", :',"", .."',,,. .,,':',''':, ,,~.;
<br />,WaJerCons'er~ati~n Pi~trict "This goveriforis 'differe,nt than.
<br />others have been. Nobody can seernto get .
<br />"aiccess trita,lk about waterlssu'js." ..',
<br />
<br />
<br />CAP SpOkesman' Ro~rt Barrett said. .
<br />Napolitano's spOkeswortJaitJeanbJ.e L'E- .
<br />coyer said the'governor is "actively engaged"
<br />in water issues.
<br />
<br />Nass~u, CoUn~'s ~ewSe~~rAgeJi.Cy
<br />ReadiesFirstdofManyBori~nea~ .
<br />
<br />Arizona}W~t~r~prOVider,BI~MS:G"vern~'r":lWer,iDrDUgbt Inaction'"
<br />
<br />
<br />,. . ay Richard WiUililllsori,' ',sci:m to get aCcesstOtaIkabout'wa.terissueS." ,~:CAP.wh1ch openiresa cari~ that\iive~BeCause.thereducixitiow of ColorSdo River _
<br />. . After Wilson 's comment~.; Napolitano-water from the CQlot'ado River to the major water toMexxeo now is sosalty, the U.S. must
<br />agreed to meet withC~ officia1$for the fiTst population Cen~ pfPhoeWx~d 1\1cson, '~st:elease lOO,OOOacr~ feet from Lake. Mead
<br />timein the 15 months sheha!; held dffice;'the largest of.tWo water providers iil central. :each year. If the Colorado River water were
<br />. . . . 'de$altedatthe plant before it reached Mexico;
<br />. '~na would be able to retafu. the. 100;000
<br />acre feet in Lake Mead, Barrett said:
<br />: .... Be6iUseArizoll.a.~as water rights .that are
<br />junior tothe.othe~ southwestern states that
<br />depend on the Cplorad6,itwillsuffer fIrst if
<br />a. shortage is declared by the U ,S~ :Bureau of
<br />Reclamation. . .. .
<br />"IfCalifomia took its full 4.4 million acre Q
<br />feet.a year,. that 'sucking. sound you'd hear c.:J
<br />would be us," Barrett said. ., w
<br />~'This is.a critical time," Wilson said. "If c....)
<br />Someone dOesn't step in and show some 1e3d- '-C
<br />.ership; iJ:lt~.cupboanrs.going to be bare. We 0
<br />live in a desert. Without water, we're noth~
<br />. '. ." .
<br />mg. . .
<br />In its ninth year of drought, Arizona. is on
<br />the verg~ of the. worst prolonged drought in
<br />iecordedhis~ory,~d John Sullivan, asso-
<br />ciate general manager of the Salt River ,Pr0-
<br />jeCt. A study of tree rings indicates that 2002
<br />was the driestof the past 1,400 yearS in Ari-
<br />zona, SUllivan said. .
<br />. With wa.ter levels fallirig in Arizona. reser-
<br />voirs, soine ,water e~perts fear thatthe'iwo .
<br />massive man~made lakes on the Colorado -:--:
<br />Mead and I'owell- could be in danger.
<br />Lake. Powell, upstream froni Lake Mead,
<br />is less than half full and has been draining faster
<br />$~ce 2002 than ithasbeenfjlling. If the trend
<br />. continued .at the present rate, Lake Powell
<br />could be'dry by 2010, federal officials say. CJ
<br />
<br />By Michael McDonald '
<br />
<br />Armed with:a,t least one A~.evel rating, the
<br />Nassau County, N.Y., Sewer and Storm
<br />.Water Finance Authorhy is eXpected to kick
<br />off a $181 million debt restrocturirig la~ thi~
<br />month with the sale of $33.8 million in auc:'
<br />',tion-rate sepu~ties.
<br />
<br />~!o.""
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<br />ast
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<br />comingdea1and 9rrick, Henington & Satt-
<br />c1itre is bond counsel. Gianelli said the au":
<br />thority is seeking bond insurance for the.auc-
<br />tion rate securities. . .' " "
<br />On Friday, Moody's Investors Service
<br />rated the authority A2, which is two steps
<br />above the ratin:g it has QI1 Nassau Cowty's .
<br />general obligation credit, while Standard &
<br />Poor.'s"rated it BB~-plus, which is equiva-
<br />
<br />'A$<>na The other is the" SllltIuver fu,ject,
<br />which has Peen forced 1:lY drought to reduce
<br />. water allocations for tQe see;ondyear in it row,
<br />.anaCtioIltha~lmS notoceurredsmce 1952.
<br />. WIth SRJ> reduc!ng water supplies, de.-
<br />mandS onth~ CAP sources are rising, Bar-.
<br />rett said. While CAP has not issued debt in
<br />years, it serves dOZensof municipal customers
<br />,who sell. bonds to finance improvements to
<br />. . their systems. The availability of water is also
<br />. a major fa~tor in. the viability of any. com":
<br />mercia! projects in !he state and underlies the
<br />. ec:onomic strength of one of the fastest grow..,
<br />ing metropOlitan areas of the. countrY. .
<br />The ~on plant has been mothballed
<br />since 1993 when ,river water was ample. It
<br />plays a key role in conserving water becau~
<br />of the United~tates' treaty~th Mexico to
<br />share usable water from the Colorado River.
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<br />. 'Monday; April 5,}004,,3 .
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