Pres Obama visits Hoover Dam: Will he prioritize water projects in next term?

On October 2nd, President Obama visited Hoover Dam in Henderson, Nevada the day before the first presidential debate. It was his first visit to the spectacular piece of history and water infrastructure. Unfortunately, the visit did not inspire him to include any promises to address sustainable water management in the debate the next day in Denver, Colorado.

Both presidential campaigns have so far been conspicuously silent on many environmental issues including climate change and water conservation. They have both generally addressed the need for upgraded infrastructure and energy independence, but the specifics on how these goals will be met sustainably have not been mentioned.

Source: Pete Souza

The focuses of the campaigns each cycle are often a reflection of the concerns of the voting public. Therefore, the silence on environmental issues is an indication that these issues matter less to most voters compared to the more salient issues like the economic recovery and job creation. This is unfortunate, because environmental crises are not far-off issues. Many western cities are reaching critical crisis points because of aging or inadequate water infrastructure, lack of funding, and growing populations that place demands out of proportion to the already stressed water supply. Nationwide policy on sustainable water management, along with creative and reliable funding mechanisms are needed now.

Investing in water infrastructure solutions would address economic recovery needs and create jobs, and now is an opportune time for either presidential candidate to connect those dots.