Deputy City Attorney Rodney Short briefed the City Council Oct. 6 on a resolution opposing the permanent transfer of Colorado River water from land owned by Greenstone RP (doing business as GSC Farms LLC) in La Paz County to the town of Queen Creek, Arizona, and the council adopted the resolution by a 7-0 roll call vote.

The resolution asks the Bureau of Reclamation to consider alternatives including a no-action option and a full environmental impact statement (EIS) or restrictions that would limit transfers to conditions under the 2007 interim guidelines and the Drought Contingency Plan, the council heard.

Short told the council the transfer was first proposed in 2018–2019 and that the city previously passed resolutions opposing the transfer and urging a fuller environmental review. He said Reclamation originally completed an environmental assessment (EA) and issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI), which prompted river communities to sue. "It's not a good deal for rural Arizona. It's not a good deal for anybody," Short said, summarizing local concerns about the earlier review.

Short told the council a federal judge agreed that Reclamation had not taken a sufficiently hard look at certain issues and remanded the matter, and that Reclamation recently filed a notice of intent in the Federal Register to proceed with additional NEPA review. The resolution on the council agenda asks Reclamation to evaluate a no-action alternative and to analyze impacts to the human and natural environment more fully, including socioeconomic effects and potential effects on water and power supply under the 2007 interim guidelines and the Drought Contingency Plan.

Council member Morales moved to adopt the resolution; Council member Morris seconded. The clerk called a roll vote: Council member Martinez — aye; Council member Morris — aye; Council member McClendon — aye; Deputy Mayor Smith — aye; Council member Morales — aye; Council member Watts — aye; Mayor Nichols — aye. The council recorded the resolution as adopted unanimously.

No members of the public had signed up to speak on the item, and council members did not pose additional questions during the brief presentation. Mayor Nichols thanked the legal team for preparing the resolution and said the council expects to return to water issues in future meetings.