AUTHORIZE THE CITY'S NON-INDIAN AGRICULTURAL CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT WATER SUPPLY APPLICATION FOR PURCHASING 2,000 ACRE-FEET RECOMMENDATION: 1. ADOPT RESOLUTION 13-1554 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO PURCHASE 2,000 ACRE-FEET (AF) OF NON-INDIAN AGRICULTURAL (NIA) CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT (CAP) WATER. 2. Direct three million dollars to be allocated within the five-year capital improvement plan for the purpose of direct delivery cap water projects. PURPOSE: 1. This action would allow the City to obtain a new CAP assured water supply for committed and future residential, commercial, and industrial development. The NIA water supplies are the last available remaining renewable water supplies that can be purchased and re-allocated through the U.S. Department of Interior and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD). If the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) qualifies the City for NIA CAP water, and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior agrees with ADWR’s recommendation, the City will be authorized to purchase the determined amount of NIA CAP water supplies at the current approved purchase rate. These water supplies would then become permanently part of the City’s water portfolio and available for annual ordering and use. 2. This action will create the funding opportunities to develop and implement CAP direct delivery CAP water projects. The direct delivery of CAP water is critical regarding the City’s enhanced control of CAP water deliveries and having the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) recognize the City’s entire CAP allocation. Currently, the City can only take delivery of CAP water indirectly whereby it must rely upon CAP facilities, which the City does not control, being available for recharging the City’s CAP water, and recover the CAP water within the City’s recovery well system. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has not currently recognized all of the City’s CAP allocations due to the fact the City has not planned for or implemented the ability to directly deliver CAP water. (Mark Holmes, Water Resources Manager).

Committee

City Council Regular Meeting

Introduced

May 8, 2013

On agenda

May 20, 2013

Passed

May 20, 2013