Salt River Project has finally broken its silence on the Prescott area communities' plans to pump groundwater from the Big Chino aquifer.
For the last 10 years, SRP has worked from the sidelines, partnering in studies, providing input and exercising their role as stakeholder on the Verde River.
But, up until last month, they had been reluctant to spell out their concerns.
Studies have shown that the aquifer provides at least 80 percent of the upper Verde River's flow.
SRP's concerns and expectations were made public in a letter, dated Dec. 11, 2007, from John Sullivan, associate general manger of SRP's Water Group.
The letter responds to a request from the cities of Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley made during a meeting with SRP representatives on Nov. 19.
It begins with an acknowledgment that there is a connection between the aquifer and the river and that SRP has an interest in protecting both its "vested senior water rights" and 'aquatic and riparian habitat and species of interest" from potential impacts of pumping the aquifer.
The letter states that in order to ensure that water supply impacts are avoided, any withdrawal of water from the Big Chino sub-basin by the tri-city area communities must be offset by either:
1) A contemporaneous reduction in existing uses from the Big Chino sub-basin in an amount necessary to avoid any reduction in Verde River flows
2) The contemporaneous augmentation of Verde River flows from outside the Verde watershed
"Such measures could be implemented combination, but the result must be a "zero loss" of water supplies to SRP's shareholders and to protect the Verde river habitat from impacts resulting from the proposed pumping project," the letter states.
Furthermore, the letter stats that pumping the Big Chino to provide water for the Prescott area communities is "only a short-term solution for the area's projected growth, with the flow of the upper Verde River caught in the middle."
"With nearly 62,000 acre feet of current and pending uses and only 23,000 acre feet of natural recharge, time will not be on your side much longer," the letter states.
SRP's suggested solution, for now, is for the tri-cites to implement both a "sound monitoring program and an actionable mitigation plan."
For monitoring, SRP wants the entire basin monitored and at "depths and locations to detect changes in the water table in the down gradient direction from production pumping." SRP also wants the monitoring wells in place at least one year before any pumping occurs.
Elements of a satisfactory mitigation plan should include retiring historically irrigated lands to offset what is transported out of the basin, the purchase of development rights to prevent further development and treatment of surface water in Watson and Willow Lakes.
"Although we have heard your representatives say that the various pump projects will not impact the Verde River, we disagree," the letter states,
"Rather than debate whether or not the impacts will occur, we believe you communities need to act quickly to develop and implement a scientifically sound monitoring program and an actionable mitigation plan to offset all water supply and environmental impacts should they occur."
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2008
Article comment by:
Roger Radd
SRP has the rights to surface water, not groundwater.
The elephant in the room in AZ water allocation has always been the bizarre principle that ground water and surface water are not linked.
Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2008
Article comment by:
Bob Hathaway
What a total boondoggle on the part of all of the town and city officials involved in this mess.
I have wondered how long SRP would tolerate this attempted water grab.
It has been well documented that SRP has rights to all ground water in the state of AZ.(as well as some of the neighboring states).
What an extraordinary waste of the taxpayers money!
Will these officials be held responsible?
Probably not.
Promotions will most likely be in order.
