Tuesday, October
13, 2000 
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Arizona may not have access to full allotment of CAP water
By Jim Lamb
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Arizona is entitled to 2.8 million acre feet of Colorado River water, but during dry years it may not be able to actually recieve that much, a water expert told a Green Valley meeting Monday.
The Central Arizona Project is capable of delivering 1.3 million acre feet a year, but “firm water” would probably amount to 600,000 to 700,000 acre feet, said Steven Weatherspoon.
Weatherspoon is a member of the board of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, the CAP’s parent organization.
Claims by California could mean the state can’t pump its full allotment during very dry years, he told a meeting sponsored by Community Water Co. of Green Valley.
The 1922 Colorado River Compact and subsequent legal decisions and agreements gave lower basin states California 4.4 million acre feet of water, Arizona 2.8 million, and Nevada 300,000 acre feet.
The upper basin states—Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico—divide 7.5 million acre feet.
An acre foot amounts to 325,851 gallons—enough water for a family of four for a year.
Arizona uses part of its allotment, 1.5 million acre feet, along the river.
The rest is delivered by the 336-mile canal and pipes from Lake Havasu to cities, industries, mines and agricultural users.
The southern terminus is at Pima Mine Road near Green Valley.
For 25 to 50 years California has been using more than its allotment, said Weatherspoon.
But California has agreed to cut back to its legal allotment during the next 15 years.
But when it does it will still have first claim to the river’s flow.
Weatherspoon said climatologists predict that the next 20 years will be very dry and someday Arizona may be forced to use less than its allotment.
Community Water Co. of Green Valley has a CAP allotment but doesn’t yet have the pipes, pumping stations and treatment facilities to use it.
It still must pay for that allotment.
Area mines and agriculture users also have allotments, but aren’t using them, said Weatherspoon.
The Tohono O’odham plans to start using some of its allotment soon.
In many areas of the state, pumping is depleting the groundwater.
Early CAP backers said it would slow or stop this depletion, but so far it hasn’t.
Some allotment holders find the cost of pumping is cheaper than paying for CAP water.
Because of claims and settlements the federal government now is entitled to about half of the CAP water.
It plans to use much of that to settle Indian claims.
Weatherspoon said some of the tribes plan to sell or lease their allotments to municipalities.
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