D2.3 Reflecting on 30 years of recharge by the Salt River Project

In addition to the water stored in seven reservoirs, SRP has developed two underground storage facilities (USFs): the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project (GRUSP) and the New River-Agua Fria River Underground Storage Project. GRUSP remains one of the largest water-banking facilities in the West as it approaches its 30-year anniversary. This presentation will highlight the history of SRP’s recharge program, lessons learned, and plans for the future. Since its completion in 1994, the GRUSP facility has recharged over 1 million acre-feet of water (CAP and SRP) and effluent, allowing Arizona to use its Colorado River entitlement. This water, nearly half of which is stored on behalf of the Arizona Water Banking Authority (AWBA), is available to be pumped out of the ground and delivered to Valley residents and businesses during prolonged drought periods or when a shortage is declared on the Colorado River system. Developed through a legal framework known as an Intergovernmental Agreement, the facility is owned by SRP and six Valley municipalities — Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe. And, thanks to collaborative work by SRP and other organizations, including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, a new land-lease agreement signed in late 2013 will extend the life of the project until 2033. SRP, on behalf of the GRUSP owners, also works closely with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), which operates the CAP canal in coordinating CAP water deliveries to GRUSP, and with ADWR.