11/15/2008 9:40:00 PM Editorial: Water allocation is great news
Officials in Prescott and Prescott Valley waited nervously for a long time to get the news Thursday that the Arizona Department of Water Resources has approved an increase in Prescott's 100-year assured water supply.
The ADWR action includes approval of about 8,000 acre-feet of groundwater from the Big Chino Water Ranch.
The City of Prescott and the Town of Prescott Valley are planning to build a pipeline from the Paulden-area water ranch to their communities for future development.
Prescott officials were reluctant to go too far with the estimated $120 million project without having clear title to the water.
"The decision allows us to responsibly move forward in achieving a safe-yield water supply," said Prescott Mayor Jack Wilson. "We are moving toward sustainability for both our current residents and future generations."
"We have a responsibility to ensure that residents have water," Prescott Valley Mayor Harvey Skoog said, "and the approval to secure this supply will enable us to do just that."
The "safe-yield" Wilson alluded to is a state in which Prescott, Prescott Valley and all other water users in the Prescott Active Management area don't take any more water out of the ground than they return to the aquifer.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources declared the AMA to be out of safe yield in 1998 and mandated the area must reach safe yield by 2025.
The only way an area that already has taken more water out of the ground than it can put back can reach safe-yield is to import water from elsewhere, and that's what the two communities want to do with the pipeline partnership.
It's no wonder the ADWR announcement is such heartening news to the two municipalities. But the access to the water is not yet a fait accompli.
The state now allows a 30-day appeals period, and a number of groups oppose the project, including the Salt River Project and the the Center for Biological Diversity.
The road to getting that water for the area always will be a rough one.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Article comment by:
The gov.
Hi, I'm with the government and I am here to help.
Posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
Dear "no name provided", the number one industry in Arizona is building homes on ranch land. Water? Well, as long as the political power is in the hands of the old ranchers and new developers (often the same people) nothing will change. The future water from Big Chino for Prescott Valley, is "all" allocated for new homes; not current residents. PV sold its recharge credits from ADWR to investors to sell to future developers to build new homes. And those builders will get "credit" from those new homes to build "more homes". Note no real new water is available and we come closer to drinking quickly re-processed waste water here in the high desert of Arizona. May Arizona elect better people who have average citizens interests at heart. Of course it will depend on a population of informed and concerned citizens to elect such people. Clearly, we are not there yet.
Posted: Monday, November 17, 2008
Article comment by:
Beth
I'm glad that we are securing the water for this region. It's about time that we take care of our precious resources. SRP will take all our water if we let them. I wouldn't be surprised if SRP doesn't like the decision.
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
Richard
It's good to see efforts taken to secure water for this region. There's no doubt SRP/Phoenix will take it all if we don't act proactively.
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
drinknowbeforethepoliticiansstealyourwater
May I be so bold as to ask if ADWR actually has added water to the supply currently available from nature, or has it simply created some specious numbers on paper for the developers to use in their pursuit of riches? If ADWR has not added any water to the area's aquifer, then where have they found the new moisture to guarantee an increase in Prescott's 100-year assured water supply? Rainfall certainly hasn't increased in the past 15 years, or so.
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
Leslie Hoy
The editorial states, "Prescott officials were reluctant to go too far with the estimated $120 million project without having clear title to the water." In addition to the erroneous $120 million dollar figure, the writer missed the paragraph on p. 6 of the cover letter that accompanied ADWR's decision: "As with all designations the Department [ADWR] will monitor Prescott's designation, including the groundwater supplies from the Big Chino sub-basin. If new groundwater uses in the area impact the groundwater supplies in Prescott's designation in a manner that results in Prescott no longer having a 100-year assured water supply, the Department may require Prescott to modify its designation or may take action to revoke Prescott's designation." That doesn't sound like "clear title" to me.
Another interesting item appears on p. 5 of ADWR's Decision and Order--items 33, 34, and 35 discuss several hundred acre-feet of effluent that will be for potable use (i.e. drinking water). Prescott's current sewage treatment is inadequate to produce safe drinking water from effluent. Where will the money for the improved sewage treatment come from?
I hope as we go down the "rough road" of getting water for Prescott, the Courier will do its duty to thoroughly investigate the issues and not just listen to the mayors' spin.
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
Park ranger for Ameoba park
Welcome to the Ghost County of Yavapai. There used to thriving political cities and townships. It was a hotbed for giant developers who greedily sucked all the water from the ground to build their projects. Just look at all the scarred lands that were raped for their greed. Now they sit empty growing weeds because that is all that is left. All the beautiful trees and hill tops were destroyed. When the water ran out these greedy developers and polititians moved on to greener pastures. We have named this the ameoba land in their honor. As you move throughout the west you will see more of this. It is sad that once this was a thriving environment and was destroyed by greed.
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
No name provided
yea and it is going to empty many wells out in the area in which they are going to pump the water from then they will charge more money to bring us our water back......go figure this happened in Williamson valley just a few years ago are they not remembering the wells drying up out there due to new developements...oh wait that is not their problem....i am not staying here...i have had it with all the developments going in.....too much bs and money hungry developers moving in.......i thought the people of the tri city area governments cared about the area boy was i wrong all they care about is lining their pockets they dont give a darn about the citizens here....can you say welcome to the new bedroom community of Phoenix...this area will be known to most of us that are smart enough to get out before it turns into a slum for all as the mini cesspool.....good luck to those of you who want to stay i feel sorry for you...
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
George Seaman
Oh if it were only this simple! So many obstacles, so many legal questions, so many "facts" put forward by the cities which are simply untrue. There is no actual binding plan to require any of the water to be put into the safe yield formula (other than Proposition 400), problems with potential losses of private property right claims to water in the Paulden and Big Chino area, SRP's PRIOR claim rights to the flows of the river, Denial of basic scientific data like the connection between surface and ground water in state law, the question as to whether the transfer of water from the Big Chino is even constitutional, accepting the need for a Habitat Conservation Plan to help insure that the cities will not be sued, who pays for the pipeline and why, where do the loans come from when the private financiers realize that there are all of these legal problems to deal with, etc etc etc. Mr Mayors, it is time to come clean with the public on these issues and stop trying to ram partial truths down our throats. The problems facing the area are not just about Prescott and PV, they include all of our neighbors (start with the 3,000 people in Paulden and go out from there). In a related story in today's paper, the Verde has citizens ready to secede because their concerns on this project are not being addressed. What that would mean is that the county of the Verde would also be in line to sue Yavapai county for takings. Such a mess, what we need are leaders and not just public relations/propaganda mouth pieces! George
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
P.O.'d in Paulden
Once again, what about us on wells in Paulden, who depend on that very same aquifer to sustain us, our animals, and our "future generations"? Where do we get our water after they have sucked it dry ? I pray that the SRP and Center for Biological Diversity prevail in their lawsuits. As always, its' the "haves" Vs. the "have nots" that claim the bully pulpit.
Posted: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Article comment by:
No name provided
A very important point is not being given proper consideration, is the fact that not one drop of this imported water is going to recharge the aquifer, to reach safe yield, it is for development!!1 Then the waste water generated, will be dumped in the Agua Fria River Bed, and the town will get water credits from the state,that they will market for sale to more development.Why not prepare for the worst case, and error on the safe side of the environment. Why are taxpayers expected to pay for this pipeline, when clearly, the only interests to benefit are large land owners/Fain land and cattle. The cost of this project is going to be over 180 million dollars not including legal fees.
