Buckeye and Queen Creek can now access groundwater from a farming area in western Phoenix.
The move comes after officials from the Department of Water Resources approved the first-ever legal transfer of water from rural Arizona to cities.
The agreement will allow the communities of Buckeye and Queen Creek to withdraw up to 5,926 acre-feet per year and 5,000 acre-feet per year, respectively from the Harquahala basin.
Still, the question remains as to whether this is a permanent solution.
Sarah Porter is the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. She says this inter-basin transfer isn't a total answer to ensuring that Arizona has enough water to continue to grow.
"Increasingly, I think there's a recognition that we need to find some other water supplies."
The agreement is authorized for up to 110 years, enough to serve more than 30,000 homes.
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The Gila River Indian Community has strict rules about accessing the abandoned 16,500-acre site, originally known as the Rivers Relocation Center. Now, it’s more commonly called Gila River, and the camp’s location is mainly off-limits. -
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