U.S. Water News Online
PHOENIX -- Citing failure of federal officials to abide by an initial agreement made four months ago, the Central Arizona Water Conservation District has filed suit against the U.S. government over repayment terms for the Central Arizona Project (CAP).
"We tried as hard as we possibly could to reach resolution," said district board President Grady Gammage, Jr. "We have hundreds of hours invested in these negotiations, and it's hard to see that wasted," added Gammage.
After more than a year and a half of negotiations between the district and the Department of Interior over the Master Repayment Contract for CAP, both sides reached an apparent agreement in February. In its suit filed in U.S. District Court at Phoenix, however, the Central Arizona district, which operates CAP, charged that the U.S. backed away from several initial concepts and has refused to sign the agreement.
What started as an effort to resolve financial differences between the CAP and the U.S. "has been turned into a discussion about water for Nevada and a settlement of Indian claims against the federal government," said Gammage. "I'm grateful that litigation will get us back to the financial dispute that needs to be resolved." Gammage and other officials of the Central Arizona district expressed outrage that Nevada officials became involved in the discussion in an apparent attempt to claim unused CAP water from the Colorado River for Las Vegas.
Return to the U.S. Water News' Archives page
Or
Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage