Meet the newest Arizona water board members, holding the key to our infrastructure’s future

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Three members were just sworn into the board for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District board.

Ylenia Aguilar, Amanda Monize, and Barbara Seago joined Good Morning Arizona just before the official swearing-in ceremony was held. The positions on the board are unpaid and volunteer-based, and while it’s the district is something most people don’t think about, as the southwestern US deals with the historic drought, the role of board members is more vital than ever before. The board is responsible for operating and maintaining the Central Arizona Project. That’s the 336-mile canal system that brings Colorado River water, in part, to the Valley.

The Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), and the Arizona Hydrological Society created a voter’s guide just before election day. “With the Colorado River situation worsening, we need Board members who will be engaged and committed to protecting this vital water supply and infrastructure,” said Warren Tenney, executive director of AMWUA previously told Arizona’s Family’s Whitney Clark.

New members on board could help bring a fresh perspective, as the drought situation becomes direr than ever before. In December, the nation’s largest water supplier declared a drought emergency for all of Southern California, clearing the way for potential mandatory water restrictions early next year that could impact 19 million people in the Golden State.

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