2022-07-11 Trade a river for more houses? Ouch!

For over 20 years Prescott and Prescott Valley had envisioned piping nearly 4 billion gallons, 11,550 acre-feet per year (afy), of groundwater from the Big Chino Valley to support a vastly increasing population. 

Accordingly, they had planned for a pipeline that could transport 12,000 afy roughly 40 miles from the Big Chino Valley to the Prescott area. Now Prescott has apparently put consideration of the Big Chino pipeline on hold. But, as stated in Prescott Valley’s 2035 General Plan, the town is pulling out the stops to obtain Big Chino water. 

The fact remains that exportation of Big Chino groundwater would eventually devastate the year-round flow of the uppermost Verde River.