In a decisive move to secure a more stable water future for its citizens, the State of Arizona, through the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), has given the green light for the City of Buckeye and Town of Queen Creek to withdraw groundwater from the Harquahala Groundwater Basin. According to a recent announcement by the ADWR, as presented on the Office of the Arizona Governor, Buckeye will have access to up to 5,926 acre-feet per year, and Queen Creek to 5,000 acre-feet per year.
The decision stemmed from a rigorous set of projections and modeling, assuring that this water transfer will not unfairly disadvantage existing users in the area. While upholding the ADWR's responsibility to oversee and manage water resources, the transportation order also sets the stage for the State Land Department's future engagements in water transportation, with the intent to bolster the funds for public schools in Arizona. Experts have identified this new water source as critical to the desert state, which contends with persistent water challenges exacerbated by population growth and climate variability.
As per statements obtained by the office of the Arizona Governor, Governor Katie Hobbs heralded the approval, expressing it as a key step towards supporting Arizona's communities and economy while safeguarding vital water resources. In synchrony, Buckeye’s Mayor, Eric Orsborn, and Queen Creek’s Mayor, Julia Wheatley, lauded the efforts that culminated in this water transportation approval, emphasizing the sustenance it promises for future generations.
With Arizona's agricultural heritage deeply rooted in its soil, Dave Lamoreax, a centenarian farmer and landowner in the Harquahala Basin, shared the significance of the milestone, tying it to both personal legacy and regional sustainability in a statement provided to the office of the Arizona Governor. Further emphasizing the importance of this development, Clark Princell, President & CEO of Valley Partnership, credited the steadfast work spanning decades that enabled the basin's groundwater to finally augment Phoenix's water supply, fulfilling a foresight dating back to the basin's designation in 1991.
This milestone marks a convergence of careful planning and strategic water management, underhashed, by the context of an ever more pressing need to rethink water utilization in the face of scarcity and environmental shifts.
