PRESCOTT ACTIVE MANAGEMENT AREA Files

Response to Pollack Report: Moglewer

The August 2008 report by Elliot D. Pollack & Company on the Big Chino Water Ranch Project has been reviewed. This report was an impact analysis of the proposed project. The analysis incorporated forecasts of community population growth, alternative scenarios of growth based upon assumptions of available water supplies, and opportunity costs from failure to develop the pipeline. Results were quantified in constant 2008 dollars. The report focused on impacts to the City of Prescott and the Town of Prescott Valley. The basic conclusion of the Pollack report is that failure to build the Big Chino Pipeline at an estimated cost of $174.8 million dollars would result in a total lost economic impact to the two communities of over $15 billion dollars.
A major concern is that this report is inadequate for decision-making. It represents an optimistic upper bound not likely to be achieved. The report does not include adverse possibilities. Although it may represent a first attempt to get into the ballpark, it is way out in left field and not near home plate. View Document.

A Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of Prescott Adopting a Council Policy Regarding the Use of Water Rights from the Retirement of Historically Irrigated Acreage on the Big Chino Ranch

July 12, 2005 Prescott City Council resolution saying water rights resulting from the retirement of historically irrigated acres on the Big Chino Water Ranch will not be used for development or growth but will be dedicated to mitigation or safe yield to the extent needed. 

 View Document.

Intergovernmental Agreement for the Sale of Water and Cost Participation (BCWR/Prescott/Prescott Valley)

This Intergovernmental Agreement for the Sale of Water and Cost Participation is dated  December 7, 2004, by and between the City of Prescott  and the Town of Prescott Valley. This agreement authorized the purchase of the JWK Ranch (later renamed the Big Chino Water Ranch) for the purpose of transporting water from the Big Chino aquifer to the Prescott Active Management area for use by Prescott and Prescott Valley. 

 View Document.

Response to Pollack Report: Danforth

An August 2008 study entitled "Big Chino Water Ranch Project Impact Analysis, Prescott & Prescott Valley, Arizona" prepared by Elliott D. Pollack & Company commissioned by the Central Arizona Partnership, presents a methodology to illustrate the costs of not completing the Big Chino Water Ranch pipeline project and applies that methodology to quantify the fiscal and economic impacts of that project. The Report incorporates a large number of major analytical shortcomings that result in estimates of fiscal and economic impacts which are grossly overstated and largely irrelevant to the current citizens of Prescott and Prescott Valley. View Document.

Six Water Supply Issues in the Upper Verde River Watershed

A short summary of six critical issues in the upper Verde River Watershed.  View document.

Big Chino Water Ranch Project Impact Analysis

Elliott D. Pollack & Company was retained by Central Arizona Partnership to perform an impact analysis of the BCWR project. The analysis involved a number of tasks including identifying reasonable forecasts for community population growth; comparing these forecasts to scenarios of growth if water supply is restricted by the Assured Water Supply Rules; illustrating the opportunity costs of not developing the pipeline; and quantifying the results of the analysis. All dollar figures are in 2008 dollars. Following is a summary of the results:
The City of Prescott was granted an Assured Water Supply Designation of 14,822 acre-feet in 2005. As of the end of 2007, the City estimated that 1,700 acre-feet remained available for allocation to new development. Without any importation of water, the City of Prescott can build an estimated 4,857 residential units, or support a population of 10,686 people. This population will be reached by 2014. The Town of Prescott Valley has the water rights to more than 5,000 acre feet and estimates they could issue about 17,000 residential permits. This would support an additional 40,000 people and would constrain growth past 2031. However, it is important to note that the limitations that will first exist in the City of Prescott may temporarily push new residential development to the Town of Prescott Valley.
If the City of Prescott and the Town of Prescott Valley are unable to issue additional permits, and the communities are no longer able to grow, they would incur lost economic activity as well as a significant impact on government revenues. With no additional residential homes, the demand for commercial will also be limited. These impacts are calculated over a 25-year impact period.View Document.

2009 Water Balance Calculations for the Prescott AMA

Charts and graphs describing the water balance and decreases for the Prescott AMA, by Doug McMillan and Pete Kroopnick. View Document. 

2014-07-23 How Many More Homes Can Be Built in Prescott Without New Sources of Water?

If Prescott resumes the growth rate it had prior to the 2007-2010 housing bust, the city can continue to build new homes for about 27 years without additional water supplies. Written by Howard Mechanic, 2010. View Document.

2014-07-29 Water 101-108: Understanding Yavapai County Water Issues

A series of eight short articles explaining the background of the area water problems. Written by Steve Ayers for publication in the Verde Independent. 15 pages, easy to read. View Document.

ADWR Final Decision and Order: Prescott AMA Is No Longer at Safe-Yield

Official statement by ADWR in January, 1999 that the Prescott AMA is no longer at safe yield, and that the Assured Water Supply Rules now apply. 46 pages. View Document.

Arizona Water Atlas: Prescott AMA

This excerpt of the comprehensive statewide water atlas summarizes the status of the Prescott AMA. 46 pages. The full version of the water atlas Issued by ADWR in 2009 is over 120 mb and can be downloaded from http://www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/WaterAtlas/default.htm View Document.

Arizona Water Blueprint: Prescott AMA

The Arizona Water Blueprint is an interactive map of AZ water resources through a link to a tool that will open showing the Prescott Active Management Area.  Open the tool from this link.

Arizona Water Meter: A Comparison of Water Conservation Programs in 15 Arizona Communities

This report highlights the water conservation programs of 15 Arizona communities and evaluates their programs by seven important water conservation criteria. The communities are Buckeye, Casa Grande, Chandler, Clarkdale, Lake Havasu City, Mesa, Payson, Peoria, Phoenix, Prescott, Safford, Scottsdale, Sierra Vista, Tucson, and Yuma. These communities represent a diverse cross-section of municipal water providers, and are varied with respect to size, budget, geographic location, ownership structure, and regulatory program. By presenting a broad sample of current conservation practices, utilities, researchers, policy makers, and local communities can make informed decisions about the possibilities that exist for improvement in their own programs. Report prepared by Western Resource Advocates. View Document.

Arsenic in Arizona’s Water Supply

Frequently Asked Questions about arsenic in drinking water. A CWAG bulletin. View Document. 

Big Chino Sub-basin Historical and Current Water Uses and Water Use Projections

This study was initiated to address two water related questions about the Big Chino sub-basin. The first of these concerns the right associated with certain lands to transfer water out of the Big Chino Sub-basin to the Prescott AMA. According to Arizona Revised Statutes, § 45-555, lands that were irrigated with groundwater at any time between January 1, 1975 and January 1, 1990 are eligible for a right to transfer up to 3 acre-feet per acre retired to the Prescott AMA. To date, lands irrigated during this time period have not been comprehensively identified. Document prepared by the Yavapai County Water Advisory Committee. View Document.

Big Chino Water Ranch Project Monitoring/Modeling FY17 Annual Report

Big Chino Sub-Basin Water Monitoring Project Monitoring/Modeling FY17 Annual Report, 26 pages. City of Prescott, Town of Prescott Valley, Salt River Project.  View Document.

Central Yavapai Highlands Water Resource Management Study

The Central Yavapai Highlands Water Resource Management Study (CYHWRMS) reports can be downloaded here.

COP-PV-SRP Agreement in Principle, 2010

The agreement in principle is a legally non-binding agreement replacing litigation with cooperation. View Document.

COP-PV-SRP Comprehensive Agreement 1, 2012

The City of Prescott, the Town of Prescott Valley, and the Salt River Project have ratified this agreement to better understand the relationship between Big Chino Valley groundwater and the Verde River. The parties will collect additional data and construct a more detailed groundwater model of the area. View Document.

Correspondence: CWAG and AZ Department of Water Resources Director Herb Guenther

CWAG to Guenther 10-18-07
Guenther to CWAG 12-10-07
CWAG to Guenther 1-10-08

CWAG Review of the PrAMA Third Management Plan

The water supply for the Prescott Tri-cities area is primarily groundwater pumped from the aquifer system that underlies the Prescott Active Management Area (PAMA). A state-mandated goal of the PAMA is to achieve safe yield by the year 2025. The state describes a scenario for achieving safe yield through a series of Management Plans. The Third Management Plan (TMP) covers the period 2000-2010. CWAG does not believe that the water users in the PAMA are on track to meet it. By CWAG committee, March 2005. View Document.

CWAG Review of the PrAMA Third Management Plan

The water supply for the Prescott Tri-cities area is primarily groundwater pumped from the aquifer system that underlies the Prescott Active Management Area (PAMA). A state-mandated goal of the PAMA is to achieve safe yield by the year 2025. The state describes a scenario for achieving safe yield through a series of Management Plans. The Third Management Plan (TMP) covers the period 2000-2010. CWAG does not believe that the water users in the PAMA are on track to meet it. CWAG wrote to Herb Guenther, Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources and asked that the TMP be reopened to include new provisions to achieve safe yield. View Document.

Decline of Del Rio Springs

Graph of Del Rio Springs flow shows decline. View Document.

Demand and Supply Assessment for Prescott AMA

ADWR assessment document developed in preparation for the PrAMA Fourth Management Plan. View Document.

Districts and Recharge

Presentation for Safe Yield Workgroup. Presents case studies of San Pedro, Santa Clara, and Sacramento water districts, plus various recharge projects. View Document.

Evaluation of Safe Yield and Aquifer Protection programs across the US

Presentation by Mark Holmes to the Safe Yield Workgroup. View Document. 

Evolution and Evaluation of the Active Management Area Management Plans

Written by Sharon Megdal of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, this study evaluates the Active Management Areas by describing the current status, stakeholder perspectives, and recommendations. 102 pages. View Document.

FAQ on the Northern Arizona Regional Groundwater Flow Model (NARGFM)

After securing project funding in 1999, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) asked the USGS to develop a regional groundwater flow model for the north-central part of the State. In making this request, "the Department was fully aware of the capability of the USGS to develop an unbiased model that would improve understanding of the groundwater system and ultimately management of the region's water resources," according to Thomas G. Whitmer, ADWR's Manager of Statewide Water Planning. View Document.

Final Report on Safe Yield Impediments, Opportunities, and Strategic Directive

Report prepared by the Groundwater Users Advisory Council (GUAC) for the Prescott Active Management Area in 2006. 29 pages. View Document.