Apache Junction hears update on Verde River/Bartlett Dam allocation; district remains in 4,000–4,700 acre-foot range

Apache Junction Water District received an update Feb. 17 on the Verde River sedimentation mitigation study and negotiations over Bartlett Dam allocations.

Mike, the district director, told the board the Salt River Project (SRP) and partner cities have been negotiating allocations since 2023. He said SRP initially requested about 50,000 acre-feet and subsequent reallocation work produced figures the district must now reconcile. "We were roughly looking at 7,413 (acre-feet)," Mike said, and after recent negotiations "our allocation will stay the same at this 4,741 acre feet of capacity," though he also said the current working number is "roughly at about 4,041 acre feet." He added that the allocation is available about every third year, which equates to roughly 1,500 acre-feet per year in practical supply.

The director characterized the process as ongoing and subject to federal requirements. He said the federal government recently imposed a requirement that it receive roughly "50% of the dam's storage" as a condition of participation and that federal review is tied to environmental analysis and congressional approval. "This just came out last Thursday," Mike said of the latest information, calling the development "all new." He told the board the feasibility work should continue through mid‑2027, with design work to follow, possible congressional approval around 2029 and a potential dam completion date in the early 2030s.

Mike emphasized the scale and cost of the effort, telling the board the federal partner contribution and the overall project estimate are substantial: "We're roughly a half 1,000,000 into it ourselves here at the district," he said, and later referenced a total project estimate of about $3,400,000,000. He said federal funding and approvals mean the project is subject to federal oversight and that the district and smaller partner cities successfully preserved their original allocation approach in recent votes.

Board members asked for clarifications on the upper- vs. lower-basin negotiations for the Colorado River. Mike said lower-basin states had produced a plan while upper-basin states had not reached agreement, leaving reallocation decisions with the federal government. He pledged to keep the board informed as "new news comes up." The director also warned that long-range planning is required and that local allocations will not immediately translate into regular annual supply.

The board did not take formal action on the Bartlett Dam allocation at the meeting; the discussion served as an informational update and status report.