Talk with Ylenia Aguilar, Central Arizona Project Board Member

On the 13th of February, OWN had a pleasure to host a talk with Ylenia Aguilar who serves as an elected Board Member of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) overseeing Central Arizona Project (CAP) and who is the first woman of colour to do so.

Ylenia shared her personal and professional journey which was inspiring for many young water professionals present in the room. She delivered an insightful presentation covering CAP's history, initiated following years of negotiations over the Colorado River between different states. Ylenia also talked about how does the Colorado River shortage affect CAP water users considering drought conditions in recent years, and the work CAWCD does providing policy, legal and technical expertise to the negotiation process between the 7 basin states. She highlighted the long-term solutions after the current guidelines for the Colorado River management expire in 2026, focusing on demand- and supply-side measures, as well as education initiatives. The CAWCD Board has approved construction of Water Education Center at CAP’s north Phoenix Headquarters. This will allow visitors to experience CAP’s history, operations and impact on Arizona.