Water – Our Most Precious Resource

(Created on Canva by Dawn Pisturino)

I had intended to honor Earth Day (Monday, April 22, 2024) in the United States by planting trees and tomatoes and sprucing up my garden. I support the National Arbor Day Foundation, which promotes planting trees to combat CO2 emissions and climate change. As soon as my back felt better, I planted orange, lemon, lime, and avocado trees (one each), bought 9 tomato and 2 lavender plants, 2 cherry trees, and 2 green seedless grape vines. It means a higher water bill (the county raised our water rates to discourage overuse), but trees cool warm temperatures, act as windbreaks, and improve the habitat for birds and other wildlife. My husband is obsessed with growing some of our own food, and I enjoy the exercise and hard work outdoors. I use as little water as I can to maintain the plants that I grow.

Recently, we received word that a predatory land developer wants to build a 3,000-home, high-density housing development down the road from us. My husband and I have lived here since the 1980s. This isn’t the first time we’ve been confronted with this type of development, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Our community has successfully fought incorporation, housing developments, and agricultural projects that sucked up water and caused dust storms across the valley. The county board of supervisors approved a much smaller development on the south side of our valley two years ago, and we’ve had problems with our water system ever since. Approving the smaller one paved the way for them to possibly approve the much larger one. Local residents are outraged because we live in an agricultural/residential zone, and the developer wants city-size lots in a rural area that is all desert. It’s irresponsible, environmentally unfriendly, and threatens our precious water resources.

So, I am using Earth Day to fight the county board of supervisors, the predatory land developer, and anybody else who wants to destroy our precious water. I’ve been using my writing skills (take note, all you writers out there!) to contact state and federal agencies, politicians, journalists, environmental groups, and anybody interested in protecting our water. Exposing the flippant attitude about water resources held by members of our county board of supervisors and taking advantage of the pro-water climate in Phoenix, is my main strategy. It’s an important issue among Arizona voters, and if these clowns want to stay in office, they’d better address it. I’m a registered Independent. I do not support any political party, and I’m willing to work with anybody who will help address this issue. Once you go down the path of unreasonable, greed-driven over-development, and all of its consequences, it’s almost impossible to go back. That’s why we have so many communities struggling to survive. The boom-and-bust phenomenon is real.

Here’s my Letter to the Editor, which I sent to the local newspapers and every member of the board of supervisors:

“Water concerns are one of the top issues for voters in Arizona, and they span the entire political spectrum. Attorney General Kris Mayes has launched an effort to protect groundwater aquifers in Arizona. The Mohave County Board of Supervisors must do the same. The 3,000-home, high-density housing development proposed by Angle Homes/Pennington will put stress on the current water system and affect the Sacramento Valley Basin aquifer. It will be an environmentally unfriendly development that residents in the area oppose. The density is out of character within the neighborhood and creates problems with traffic congestion, pollution, overpopulation, and water. Golden Valley is growing naturally on its own. We don’t need or want forced development threatening our water supplies and ecological system. Our community belongs to us – not the Mohave County Board of Supervisors – and they have a duty to respect and honor the residents in the valley. I have reported the situation to the Arizona Dept. of Water Resources, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, AG Kris Mayes’ office, Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office, our senators and reps at the state and federal levels, the Arizona Water Assoc., and reporter Brandon Loomis at the Arizona Republic. Water is our most precious resource. Save our water! Say NO to Angle Homes.”

My husband and I will attend the BOS meeting on May 6th, along with all other concerned residents. Signs are already popping up to oppose the project.

Wish us luck!

Dawn Pisturino

April 21, 2024

Copyright 2024 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

[NOTE: I’ve been inundated with emails, comments, and notifications. I am slowly catching up. Thank you for your patience!]

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