Development of an Intergovernmental Agreement For a Major Multi-Party Recharge Project in Central Arizona

Siegel, Richard S.; ,

Development of an Intergovernmental Agreement For a Major Multi-Party Recharge Project in Central Arizona

by Richard S. Siegel, Water Rights and Contracts Div, Phoenix, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Water Policy and Management: Solving the Problems

Abstract:

The Salt River Project (SRP), a major power and water utility in the Phoenix area, and several municipalities recently completed the development of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) governing the operation and administration of the largest recharge project in Arizona. Located in the Salt River bed, the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project (GRUSP) will store up to 200,000 acre feet per year of excess surface water supplies. Some of the issues the participants faced included a water storage goal date of nine months from when negotiations commenced (storage in November 1992), storage entitlement allocation, storage capacity leasing, liability, and project withdrawal, to name a few. Additionally, SRP negotiated a land lease for the project (project is located within the boundaries of an Indian Community) simultaneously with GRUSP IGA negotiations. In February 1993, the GRUSP IGA was officially approved. Although this was beyond the original water storage goal date, it marked one of the few times in local water political history that differing parties reached a common goal in a timely manner. The first drop of water to be stored in GRUSP is expected to occur by the Spring of 1994.

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