PHOENIX鈥擜s part of an overall $38 million effort to bolster Lake Mead surface levels by fallowing irrigable farmland on the Colorado River Indian Reservation in western Arizona, the 探花精选 has reached an agreement with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to help fund the Colorado River Indian Tribes鈥 (CRIT) on-going efforts to conserve 150,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead over the next three years.
鈥淟eaving water in Lake Mead for the greater Colorado River system creates more security for people and birds in the arid Southwest,鈥 said Karyn Stockdale, 探花精选鈥檚 Western Water Initiative Senior Director.
鈥淭his is a great first step toward completing an important piece of the funding plan approved by the Steering Committee members and the Arizona Legislature,鈥 said ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke. 鈥淚 commend the 探花精选 for recognizing the importance of keeping Lake Mead surface levels as stable and healthy as possible.鈥
The three-year deal is expected to reduce water demand and add approximately two vertical feet to Lake Mead鈥檚 surface levels.
According to the agreement signed on May 21, 探花精选鈥攕upported by their corporate partner Intel Corporation鈥攚ill contribute to an Arizona Fund created in 2019 to incentivize the CRIT for creating up to 150,000 acre-feet of system conservation water in Lake Mead, helping to avoid precipitous declines in the Lake.
鈥淚 want to thank our partners at 探花精选, Intel, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources for their ongoing support of this conservation project,鈥 said Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairman Dennis Patch. 鈥淭he partnership among the State, nonprofit organizations, corporations and our tribal government demonstrates that working together we can tackle the most enduring water supply challenges. The Colorado River Indian Tribes look forward to continuing to work with our partners ensuring the State of Arizona has a sustainable water future.鈥
The CRIT offered to forego irrigation water deliveries and fallow approximately 10,000 acres of farmland in exchange for the funding.
The fallowing/funding effort is a part of Arizona鈥檚 celebrated agreement among dozens of water users, agencies, tribes and conservation groups statewide in January 2019 to address instability in the Colorado River system through the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). After nearly 20 years of drought in the Colorado River Basin, the DCP is designed to promote conservation, reduce demand, and stabilize water levels in Lake Mead through projects such as the CRIT鈥檚 system conservation project.
鈥淚ntel is proud to support this vital effort, and to restore water to the community we鈥檝e innovated and invested in for 40 years,鈥 said Liz Shipley, Intel Arizona Public Affairs Director. 鈥淚nvesting in our watershed is an investment in our future.鈥
Signed May 21, 探花精选鈥檚 funding contribution agreement with ADWR comes almost exactly one year after the May 20, 2019 signing of the DCP on the Observation Deck of Hoover Dam by the seven Colorado River States and the federal Department of the Interior.
Background on System Conservation and DCP
The months-long, public efforts of Arizona鈥檚 Steering Committee, led by ADWR Director Buschatzke and Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) General Manager Ted Cooke, opened the door to the State Legislature鈥檚 approval of legislation authorizing the ADWR Director to sign the DCP, as well as legislation necessary for the DCP to be implemented in Arizona.
On signing the legislation on January 31, 2019, Governor Doug Ducey hailed the DCP as 鈥渢he most significant water legislation passed in nearly 40 years.鈥
The specific terms of the CRIT conservation effort were set out in an agreement by ADWR with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, operator of the Colorado River system, and the CAWCD, which delivers about 1.6 million acre-feet of Arizona鈥檚 2.8 million acre-foot annual allocation to users mainly in central and south-central Arizona.
To fund the CRIT creation of system conservation water in Lake Mead, the State of Arizona appropriated $30 million in budget year 2019/2020. By a separate agreement, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) agreed to deposit $2 million into the Fund by January 31, 2020 and use its best efforts to raise an additional $6 million into the Fund no later than July 15, 2021.
The 探花精选 contribution is a part of the EDF agreement. Intel鈥檚 leadership support of 探花精选 made this vital project possible, and also opens up opportunities to leverage additional philanthropic support later this year.
This project demonstrates how the landmark DCP agreement is achieving the goal of creating positive partnerships among entities, fulfilling funding commitments and achieving water security for Arizona.
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Contact:
Joey Kahn
探花精选
Joey.kahn@audubon.org; (480)-788-2416
Shauna Evans
Arizona Department of Water Resources PIO
smevans@azwater.gov; (480) 251-4668