Water shapes many of the decisions communities make, from how we grow to how we sustain what we value most. Across the West, that conversation is becoming more urgent as new demands emerge and long-standing assumptions are tested.
One of the most immediate challenges is the rise of large water users, including data centers, and the complex questions they raise for local governments. How do communities evaluate these proposals in a way that reflects local priorities? What policies can balance economic opportunity with long-term water security? And how can today’s decisions preserve flexibility for the future?
Our upcoming Growing Water Smart Peer Network webinar on March 3 creates space to explore these questions together. Drawing on perspectives from policy and legal experts, the session will highlight practical tools communities can use to assess and respond to proposals from large water users while better aligning land use and water planning.
We encourage you to join this important conversation. These challenges are already shaping decisions on the ground, and communities that engage now will be better positioned for what
comes next.