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Surprise hears Colorado River risks, but CAP, EPCOR and city say current customers are protected
Summary
Central Arizona Project and local utilities briefed Surprise council on Colorado River shortage scenarios and Reclamation’s draft EIS; CAP urged Reclamation to reassess the DEIS and said the state would likely litigate if a compact call occurs. EPCOR and the city said current and committed customers are protected under their portfolios.
City officials and regional water providers told the Surprise City Council on April 7 that, despite a prolonged Colorado River shortage and wide-ranging federal proposals in a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), current and committed customers in Surprise are protected by existing water portfolios — though future growth could be constrained under deep cuts.
Vinita Gartha of the Central Arizona Project told the council that mountain snowpack has been minimal and that this is the fifth consecutive year the Lower Basin has been in shortage. She summarized alternatives in the Bureau of Reclamation’s DEIS and warned some options would produce deep reductions to Lower Basin supplies: “If you look at the maximum operational flexibility under the deepest reduction, it is a 44% reduction to the entire lower basin’s allocation,”…
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