WSP03088

• File Number: 8221.112
• Description: Central Arizona Project
• State: AZ
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/23/1980
• Title: News Articles/Press Releases: 1981-1985
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

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Central Arizona Project I'later Allocations

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The proposed action is to allocate CAP water to Indian users in accordance
with nine water service contracts among eleven tribes executed in December
1980. Additionally, 173,100 acre-feet per year is proposed to be allocated
to the Gila River Indian Tribe. The quantities proposed to be allocated to
Indian users and the purposes they will serve are noted in the table below
and will be conditioned on the relative priorities delineated in the following
discussion.

Irrigation

Tribal Homeland

Total

Ak Chin
Gila River
Salt River
Fort l~cDowell
Papago-Chuichu
Camp Verde
Papago-San Xavier
Papago-Schuk Toak
San Carlos
Pascua Yaqui
Tonto Apache
Yavapai Prescott

58,300
173,100
13,300

8,600

4,300

58,300
173,100
13,300
4,300
8,000
1,200
27,000
10,800
12,700
500
128
500

2,700

1,200
27,000
10,800
10,000
500
'128
500

Totals

255,400

51.. h')P,
., ,,-U

309,820

It is anticipated that there will be years of water supply shortages in the
later years of the project. Under the propose5 allocations in these shortage
years, Indian users and non-Indian M&I users will share a first priority on
project water supplies. Jepending upon sever~~y of shortages, miscellaneous
uses will be reduced pro rata until exhausted; next, non-Indian agricultural
uses will be reduced the sa~e way until exhausted; r.ext, 25 percent of the Gila
Tribe and 10 percent of other Indian agricultu~al uses will be reduced until
exhausted. Thereafter, water for Indian uses ar.5 u? to 510,000 acre-feet of
non-Indian M&I uses will be reduced on a ProFc~tional basis, and within each
class on a prorated basis. under the propose5 shared priority, the tribes and
non-Indian M&I users should receive a relatively de?endable supply of water
throughout the life of the Froject. Effluent exchanges will be required
where feasible and consistent with contractual provisions.

The proposed decision on water allocations is driven by the logic of existing
contracts, equitable distribution of scarce resources, and the functional
relationships shared a~o~~ the water users. ~reater reductions in water short
years are proposed for the Gila River Tribe th.~n the o"oher tribes because:
(1) they have one of the best: developable gro'~c_i'ra"oer ~esources in the State
with relatively shallml pu:::ping lifts; (2) the)' have access to a developed

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