Yuma City Council opposes Colorado River Water transfer to other Arizona city
Eduardo Morales
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma City Council adopted a resolution Monday morning to oppose the permanent transfer of Colorado River Water to the town of Queen Creek, Arizona as the proposed transfer stands.
This project was proposed in 2018 with the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ opening comment at that time.
“We lose these fights, these are the fights that end the way of life in Yuma, or any of these smaller communities along the river,” said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls.
At first, it recommended moving over 1,000 acre feet of water from Yuma to Queen Creek per year, but now it is up to 2,000.
The council urges those in charge to consider the socio-economic and environmental impacts this could have.
“Rural Arizona would be up for sale along with that water because of the dramatic return on investments investors would be getting if this deal goes through,” said Mayor Nicholls.
The city is instead proposing an alternative where these transfers only happen if there is enough water and electric power for everyone.
The City’s Deputy Attorney Rodney Smith says this would also affect the electricity availability coming from Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
“The hydro electric power off of both of those dams is getting to the point where there’s not enough pressure, not enough water in the system to adequately produce the electricity we need for our community or really the whole of Arizona,” Smith says.
Mayor Nicholls shares how this can impact agriculture as well.
“That puts up all agricultural, all river communities, pretty much more valuable to be sold, then they are to be existing communities,” said Mayor Nicholls.
Despite the city’s resolution, the department of water resources still has to consider whether or not to continue with the project.
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