Conservation in the West Poll: worries over water, support for efficiency

The State of the Rockies Project’s Conservation in the West Poll provides a detailed portrait of how residents in the intermountain West think about a variety of natural resource issues, including water. This annual poll, conducted since 2011, covers Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, so it complements the California polling conducting by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Although many of the states included in Conservation in the West survey are politically red, concern about water issues remains high, as does support for conservation over augmentation projects.

Key points:

  • Voters throughout the West are concerned about the drought and their water supply, especially in the desert Southwest.
  • Voters overwhelming support efficiency over augmentation and diversions as a means of meeting increased water demands.
  • The vast majority of Westerners are willing to take actions in their own lives to reduce their household’s water use by 20%.
  • Westerners believe the Colorado River and the rivers/streams that flow into it are at risk.

The gallery below includes some of the water related slides released by the Conservation in the West Poll.

WaterPolls.org aggregates and analyzes public opinion data on water and related issues. Stay informed through our email newsletter, RSS feed, and Twitter.