Buckeye and Queen Creek can now access groundwater from a farming area in western Phoenix. The move comes after officials from the Department of Water Resources approved the first-ever legal transfer of water from rural Arizona to cities. The agreement will allow the communities of Buckeye and Queen Creek to withdraw up to 5,926 acre-feet per year and 5,000 acre-feet per year, respectively from the Harquahala basin. Still, the question remains as to whether this is a permanent solution. Sarah Porter is the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. She says this inter-basin transfer isn’t a total answer to ensuring that Arizona has enough water to continue to grow.

Related articles:

• Arizona Daily Star (Tucson): Arizona OKs water transfer to allow growth in far Phoenix suburbs
• 12News (Phoenix, Ariz.): New water supply approved for Buckeye, Queen Creek in 110-year agreement
• Arizona Department of Water Resources: An Arizona Water News Podcast interview with ADWR’s A2U specialist, Ben Bryce