ENVIRONMENT

Arizona water agencies pledge to work together on Colorado River drought plan

Brandon Loomis
The Republic | azcentral.com
Water levels in Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam, fell sharply during an extended drought on the Colorado River.

After months of sparring over how to manage Arizona's share of Colorado River water, the state's two big public water agencies have announced they're ready to talk it out.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District issued a joint statement Thursday declaring their intention to work together toward an interstate conservation agreement known as the DCP, or drought contingency plan.

Such a plan has taken on added urgency after a dry winter produced below-average runoff on the Colorado River system, stoking fears of shortages among the seven states that rely on the waterway.

"ADWR and CAWCD are committed to bringing DCP to closure in Arizona by addressing a broad range of issues that respect the concerns of all stakeholders across the state," the statement reads. "The discussions between ADWR and CAWCD are only the first step in a process that will expand to include participation by stakeholders."

READ MORE: Colorado River runoff will be 6th-driest on record after dry winter

The Arizona Department of Water Resources has pushed a plan that would allow Central Arizona Project water users, such as tribes, to store water in Lake Mead for later use as part of a plan to cooperate with other states on preventing water shortages from the reservoir.

Drought conditions have intensified in much of the Colorado River basin this spring.

The CAP's managers at Central Arizona Water Conservation District have argued that finding customers for unused water that otherwise would flow through the canal is their job, and that holding back too much could have unintended consequences.

The state and Gov. Doug Ducey had sought legislation authorizing the Department of Water Resources plan and rejecting CAP's claim to authority, but the Legislature did not act on that plan during the session that ended this week.

READ MORE: CAP to meet with Colorado River officials after charges of 'manipulation'

CAP, meanwhile, attracted other states' scorn by advocating that water levels at Lake Mead hover at a "sweet spot" above the shortage trigger. The agency argued that saving more water to elevate the reservoir would cut off deliveries of extra water from Lake Powell upstream under federal rules.

Representatives for the two agencies said they could not speak further about what form the collaboration may take until after officials from the two organizations meet sometime next week.

The joint statement comes shortly after CAP managers traveled to Salt Lake City to meet privately and explain their position to water managers from the Colorado's upper-basin states, and after Arizona Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke told The Arizona Republic it was time for the factions to stop feuding and start cooperating on a conservation plan before an ongoing drought results in harsh water restrictions.

Under an existing shortage plan devised by the seven states more than a decade ago, Arizona would take the first hit if a shortage occurs on the Colorado. Water cutbacks would initially affect mostly agricultural users on the CAP Canal, which moves water from the river to interior portions of the state.

Shortages are triggered by specific water levels in Lake Mead, which stores water for use by Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico. The first shortage trigger is at elevation 1,075 feet above sea level, about nine feet below the current water level. Forecasters do not anticipate the reservoir will reach the shortage trigger this year.

Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in the Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow the azcentral and Arizona Republic environmental reporting team at OurGrandAZ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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