Decades of drought and withdrawals of more water from the Colorado River than it can deliver have put the river and the $1.4 trillion economy it supports at risk. Investing in water resiliency is essential for businesses operating in the region, but it will require a different approach than many are accustomed to.
A proven model of success is found in northern Arizona's Verde River, a tributary of the Salt River in the Colorado River Basin. The Verde River provides water to local farms and major cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area with up to 40% of the state's surface water. Yet its long-term health is at risk due to water abstraction, groundwater pumping, warming temperatures and drought.
Companies including Boeing, REI, Coca-Cola, Meta, Microsoft, Cox, PepsiCo, Google, Procter & Gamble, Edgecore and Intel have partnered with organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Verde River, National Forest Foundation and Salt River Project to support dozens of resiliency projects on the Verde River over the past decade. Report from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Over the past five years, projects across seven irrigation districts have saved nearly 50,000 acre-feet of water—enough to support 100,000 U.S. homes for a year.
These projects focus on creating healthier rivers and wetlands, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and making water systems more efficient. Here are some examples:
Reduce the risk of wildfires
In the forested headwaters of the Verde River, excessive brush and tree growth significantly increases the risk of devastating wildfires that impact communities and the region's water supply and infrastructure. Partnerships including government agencies, non-government organizations, and corporate funders are scaling projects to remove excess growth and restore healthy forest conditions. The efforts have reduced fire risk, improved water availability, and enhanced water security for the region. Corporate partners including EdgeCo, PepsiCo, Apple, Meta, and Google have been integral to the success of these projects.
“Meta's water stewardship efforts include investing in projects that create the conditions that enable sustainable water management,” said Stephanie Woodward, Meta's water steward. “We're proud to support projects that will restore healthy forest conditions in Verde and help environmental nonprofits and communities build long-term capacity in Arizona.”
Increased water savings
An outdated irrigation canal carries water from the Verde River to farmland in the midstream. Miles of leaks in the system have caused increased amounts of water to be withdrawn from the river, making it difficult to irrigate farmland.
Several Verde River Irrigation Districts partnered with The Nature Conservancy to improve water management by laying pipes in more than four miles of irrigation canals and installing new water control structures. This work has led to water conservation and improved water flow. Companies participating in the project include Swire Coca-Cola USA, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Meta, Coors Seltzer, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Advanced Semiconductor Materials (ASM) and Pulliam Trust.
“By working with Coca-Cola to support conservation organizations along the Verde River, we are working to solve the critical water challenges facing this important ecosystem,” said Mike Bernier, director of sustainability for Swire Coca-Cola. “By funding projects like piping the Verde Ditch, we help implement long-term solutions to reduce leakage, resulting in improved water efficiency and ensuring the sustainability of this water source for millions of people downstream.”
Changes in agricultural water demand
Many of the Verde Valley's traditional crops are water-intensive and require extensive irrigation during the summer when river levels are low. Sinagua Malt, TNC Local farmers implemented an innovative program to replace water-intensive crops like alfalfa with barley, which requires less water during the summer months. The project provided brewers with a high-quality Arizona malt while providing a solution to improve water flows in the Verde River.
Improve the flow of the river
In addition to conservation and efficiency projects, water flow can also be improved by removing invasive plant species. Companies and donors including REI, Intel, and Forever Our Rivers have funded the removal of invasive plants, alundo and tamarisk, from the middle Verde River and the Salt River near the mouth of the Verde River, respectively. These plants crowd out native plants and use more water. Removing these plants helped restore habitat, increase biodiversity, and increase water flow in the Verde River.
Set yourself up for success
Fundable water restoration projects that directly reinforce corporate goals are rare, and understanding the history and context of the Verde River effort can help companies replicate its success in other areas.
Social Hub: Most of Verde's projects were developed in areas where extensive groundwork had already been done by organizations that would later partner with corporations. Nonprofits and agencies spent time building relationships and trust with landowners, agencies and partners prior to corporate investment. The foundation of social infrastructure was in place or ready to expand.
remove: Consider the need to support key enabling actions like planning, project design, and outreach. It is rare that a “quick-start project” is in the right place, on the right timeline, and perfectly aligned with corporate goals. Understanding and supporting a pre-project strategy, including relationship building, can be essential.
Community Relevance: To make progress, we need a shared understanding of water challenges and solutions. Community, business and environmental goals must overlap. In the Verde River, an analysis of water issues, challenges and solutions conducted by TNC and others helped identify areas where community interests overlap with business and environmental priorities.
remove: Long-term, large-scale resilience projects require significant community cooperation to be successful. Specific enterprise management, volume, and replenishment targets must be set based on a solid understanding of local priorities and conditions, including current public opinion as well as the availability, feasibility, cost, and timing of projects in specific locations.
Long-term: Many projects require years of preparation. For example, renovating and improving a centuries-old irrigation canal that crosses many land ownership boundaries required years of trust-building, engineering, problem-solving, and fundraising. In Verde's case, philanthropic foundations like the Walton Family Foundation and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust provided initial funding, and local partners gradually built trust and laid the foundation for subsequent success. It took five to 10 years to build a full pipeline of projects that were funded and tied to corporate goals.
remove: Be realistic and informed about the timelines and partnerships required for success. Corporate timelines should reflect the real situation and needs on the ground.
Set flexible goals: Goals that rigidly define success metrics can create scenarios where targets are not met or where corporate objectives do not address real community issues and concerns. For example, a narrow, inflexible goal such as “By 2030, we will support projects that reduce water pollutants by at least 20% in all communities where we operate” makes it difficult to adapt to real conditions and needs that reflect changing water issues and community priorities in different locations.
remove: Invest in multiple projects and set goals that are flexible enough to accommodate local conditions, needs and circumstances. Don't expect a single project or narrow approach to meet both your corporate water goals and relevant local needs.
By understanding and applying the important lessons learned in the Colorado River Basin, we can build a safer water future. Building a water-friendly community And to partners Implementing nature-based solutions.
This article First published August 27, 2024 at Trellis.net