Salt River Project, Prescott in Crucial Battle Over Water Rights

Summary

---

A battle over a water pipeline near Prescott could have long- lasting impacts on water law in Arizona and, according to ranchers and other rural residents, threatens to give owners of surface water rights total control of all nearby groundwater.

Ranchers, the city of Prescott and town of Prescott Valley argue that the Salt River Project utility is treading into a minefield and could set a dangerous precedent by challenging Prescott's plan to pump about 8,000 acre-feet of groundwater every year from the Big Chino Water Ranch.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

Salt River Project, Prescott in Crucial Battle Over Water Rights

"SRP is looking at, in our view, not only surface water, but groundwater as all theirs," said Bas Aja, executive director of the Arizona Cattlemen's Association. "It's the big city and central Arizona trying to take all the water they can from everywhere else they can."

SRP said pumping water from the Big Chino sub-basin will eventually have a harmful impact on the headwaters o...

See the full content of this document

---