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On January 12th, the Salt River Project (SRP) filed a legal complaint against the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings, and the and the City of Prescott over the decision to allow Prescott to pump water from the Big Chino sub-basin.
Prescott Mayor Jack Wilson announced the receipt of the lawsuit at last Tuesday's City Council meeting. Yesterday, the City issued the following statement in response to this latest legal action from SRP:
"Yesterday in Maricopa Superior Court, a judge denied the Salt River Project’s request for a temporary restraining order. The judge also indicated a strong commitment to resolving the five-count lawsuit that SRP filed against the City of Prescott before next month’s Arizona Department of Water Resources administrative hearing. A preliminary injunction hearing is set for January 29."
"We anticipate the swift resolution of this matter, which is an obvious attempt to circumvent the administrative process of a state agency. ADWR approved Prescott and Prescott Valley’s use of about 8,000-acre feet of water from the Big Chino Sub-basin and ruled that SRP has no legal right to participate in the review of this decision because they do not reside in the Prescott Active Management Area."
"Instead of following the appropriate appeals process within ADWR, SRP filed this lawsuit in Maricopa County challenging the constitutionality of an 18-year-old Arizona law that gave Prescott and Prescott Valley the right to this water. This is a disingenuous and disappointing tactic. We look forward to the time when the process is back where it belongs and we can work with those who have a sincere interest in protecting a safe-yield water supply that will sustain our communities and protect the Verde River."
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