Avondale swaps 9,590 acre-feet of storage credits to secure local water recovery

Avondale swaps 9,590 acre-feet of storage credits to secure local water recoveryThe Arizona municipality approved a strategic exchange with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to relocate water assets to the Salt River Project Groundwater Savings Facility.

Avondale and CAWCD will exchange 9,589.50 acre-feet of Long-Term Storage Credits (LTSCs).

The city acquires credits at the SRP Groundwater Savings Facility located within its corporate limits.

The move allows Avondale to recover stored water using its own wells during future shortages.

CAWCD receives credits at the Hieroglyphic Mountain facility, closer to CAP infrastructure.

The Avondale City Council approved a resolution on February 9 to execute a transfer agreement with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), aimed at strategically repositioning the city's groundwater assets. The agreement facilitates a one-for-one exchange of 9,589.50 acre-feet of Long-Term Storage Credits (LTSCs). Under the terms of the deal, Avondale will transfer credits currently held at the Hieroglyphic Mountain Underground Storage Facility, located approximately 20 miles northwest of the city. In return, CAWCD—operating as the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD)—will transfer an equal volume of credits from the Salt River Project (SRP) Groundwater Savings Facility, which is located within Avondale city limits. According to the agenda report submitted by Public Works Director Kirk Beaty, the primary driver for the exchange is regional water management flexibility. By moving the credits to the SRP facility, the city can "more easily recover these LTSCs... via City of Avondale recovery wells" when necessary to meet water resource demands. Conversely, CAWCD benefits by acquiring credits at the Hieroglyphic Mountain facility, closer to Central Arizona Project (CAP) infrastructure. This move aligns with CAGRD's broader strategy of actively managing credit portfolios to meet replenishment obligations within the Phoenix Active Management Area and firm supplies against Colorado River shortages. The original source of the transferred water is Colorado River water delivered through the CAP. The Arizona Department of Water Resources, which oversees all LTSC tracking and permitting, requires a $500 transfer fee to finalize the transaction.