La Paz County supervisors have approved a joint representation agreement with Mojave County in a lawsuit blocking the U.S. Reclamation Service from transferring water from the Colorado River to the town of Queen Creek, Arizona. At his Dec. 19 meeting of the Board, their supervisor limited the county’s financial contribution to the cost, which he limited to $25,000.
In a summary of the situation regarding the official explanation of the matter, County Administrator Megan Spielman said that the supervisor will announce on October 3, 2022, Mojave County’s order to block the transfer of the Priority 4 Colorado River. It noted that it had voted to nominate La Paz County as an additional plaintiff in the lawsuit. Water from Cibola, Arizona to Queen Creek. The plaintiffs involved in this lawsuit are two of him, from Yuma City and Yuma County.
Arizona Water Resources Director Thomas Buschatzke recommended that the transfer be approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior on September 4, 2020. One of the plaintiff’s allegations, he said, was that the environmental assessment that led to this recommendation was not properly performed.
Plaintiffs met in November to discuss costs. Spielman said Mojave County said it would cover all costs itself if one of his other plaintiffs could not afford the large costs.
“Mojave County feels it is very important that we all participate in this lawsuit,” Spielman said in a public briefing to the board. , and provide the public with a “power show” that we are serious about maintaining water for river communities. “
If the costs were split evenly among the plaintiffs, Spielman said La Paz County’s estimated contribution would be $340,000. She recommended limiting it to $25,000.
District 2 supervisor Duce Minor said the fairest way to do this is to divide the costs by each plaintiff’s population. He said La Paz county has reached 3.8% of his total population. He said the county’s costs would go from he’s $13,000 to he’s $16,000.
District 1 Supervisor David Plunkett asked if the environmental assessment was actually done improperly or if it was an allegation. Spielman replied that it was an allegation.
“They didn’t take drought and other factors into consideration,” she said.
Plunkett said the reclamation could probably pay more expensive attorneys’ fees than plaintiffs.
“This is not to be taken lightly,” he said. “But I understand the need.”
District 3 supervisor Holly Irwin was against the transfer from the beginning. She said the transfer had been controversial for some time. She added that others who wanted water from the Colorado River were monitoring the incident.
Irwin, following Spielman’s recommendation, issued a motion to approve the contract and limit La Paz County’s costs to $25,000. The Board unanimously approved the motion.
GSC Farms of Cibola wants to transfer more than 1,000 acre feet per year of its fourth priority Colorado River water rights to the town of Queen Creek. They want to retire part of their land from agricultural use. Queen Creek wants to use the water for municipal services. The town is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area and is growing rapidly.
Opponents of the transfer said communities on the Colorado River have limited water supplies and need it for their own survival and growth. They said the water from the river should be used for their own growth, not for the growth of Maricopa and Pima counties. They added that this sets a precedent that could lead to other metropolitan areas seeking water from the Colorado River.
Proponents of the transfer said the transfer of water was common in Western history. They said Queen Creek would use this water for development and the entire state would benefit from the additional tax revenue generated by the development.
According to the Reuse Authority’s website, fourth-priority water rights are established through contracts or other arrangements between reuse and Arizona water users. These contracts must have been concluded after September 30, 1968. Water can be federal, state, or privately owned. Total contracted volume shall not exceed 164,652 acre-feet per year. A contract signed between the United States and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District in December 1972 made it possible to transfer water through the Central Arizona Project Canal.
