Lake Havasu City Councilman Gordon Groat has entered the sometimes controversial conversation regarding the possible transfer of water from Colorado River to Queen Creek.
Cibola’s GSC Farms LLC hopes to transfer 2,083-acre feet of their water entitlement to Queen Creek, which already has plans to take advantage of the water for municipal uses, Parker Pioneer reported.
Groat spoke out during a meeting with the Arizona Department of Water Resources and shared his thoughts on the possibility of the transfer. He opposed those who back the transfer and said they seem to have the perspective that there are tons of water available.
“Well, guess what? When they allocated the water, we now know they did it in a year that had more water than usual," he said, according to Parker Pioneer. "We now have a 1.2 million-acre foot structural deficit in water every year. We’re talking like we have a lot of water here. We’re crazy to start sending water around. We don’t have any water to spare. We deserve the right to grow and prosper.”
He’s not the only politician against it. State District 5 Rep. Regina Cobb said the transfer could launch an unhealthy pattern of moving water rights to Phoenix or Tucson.
La Paz County District 3 Supervisor Holly Irwin co-signed the agreement and said water is a source that should be protected. She also noted that La Paz County supervisors took a stand against the transfer when they greenlighted a resolution that was against it.
Irwin added, according to Parker Pioneer, “They’ll be getting rich at La Paz County’s expense. This has got to stop. That water is for our future, not Maricopa, Pinal or Pima.”
There were, however. some proponents for the project, such as Grady Gammage Jr., whose firm Gammage & Burham is representing parties that are a part of the transfer. He noted the transfer as “good water management,” according to Parker Pioneer.
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