Opinion: Conservatives Should Lead on Water Conservation

Opinion: Conservatives Should Lead on Water Conservation

Photo: Bernard Spragg/Flickr

In a recent op-ed for the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City-based news organization, Sam Brown and Chris Barnard argue that conservative politicians, at all levels, must “lead on common-sense water conservation in the West.”

Given that Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona all have Republican-controlled state legislatures, Brown and Barnard’s opinion isn’t that off-base. For water conservation to occur, conservative leaders within those states will have to step up to the table. Brown and Barnard argue, however, that more political influence in water conservation isn’t necessarily a good thing.

To prove their point, they bring up current efforts in Nevada to reduce water usage. Per their research, Nevadans lowered their per-capita water use by 58% between 2022 and 2023, while the state added 790,000 residents. Brown and Barnard contend that level of decline is citizen-led, and efforts by politicians to further curtail water usage only result in unnecessary burdens. They point to the millions in fines 60,000 southern Nevada residents were forced to pay in 2023 as a result of excessive water use fines.

“This isn't accountability — it's nanny-state overreach,” wrote Brown and Barnard. “Nevadans are already taking accountability for water usage and working diligently to reduce use; we don't need politicians targeting us with fees.”

Brown and Barnard end their op-ed by calling for “conservative solutions for the conservation of these resources.”

Brown is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Nevada, and plans to make water conservation a central part of his efforts, should he be elected. He also acknowledges the need for federal help in the problem.

But Brown and Barnard miss the point, which is this: we need buy-in from everyone if we’re going to make a difference in conserving the water resources we have left. Politicizing the problem only makes it less likely that we’ll find solutions that satisfy the needs of Western residents and all the wildlife that depend on our limited waterways.

 

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