U.S. Water News Online
PHOENIX -- In an ongoing effort to fully utilize its entitled share of the Colorado River before the water is lost to thirsty downstream states such as California and Nevada, Arizona is proposing an aggressive groundwater recharge program to "bank" existing flows. The recharge plan is part of a larger proposal to increase the use of the river's water over the next 20 years.
Arizona currently has an entitlement of 2.8 million acre feet a year of the Colorado River flow, but is using only about 2.2 million acre feet annually. The proposed plan involves increasing that usage by 250,000 to 400,000 acre feet each year until Arizona would reach full usage in the year 2030.
"Right now, California is using this water and they're legally entitled to use it," said Herb Dishlip, assistant director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. "But if we can bank this water, then we can go a long way toward preventing droughts," added Dishlip.
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