Phoenix approves $5M mutual aid agreement to combat Colorado River water shortages

Phoenix approves $5M mutual aid agreement to combat Colorado River water shortagesThe City Council has authorized participation in the Secure Water Arizona Program (SWAP), a collaborative framework administered by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to offset anticipated cuts to the Colorado River and establish an emergency water reserve.

Phoenix authorized up to $5 million for administrative costs to the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) for the Secure Water Arizona Program (SWAP).

SWAP aims to create an emergency water reserve and a reduction offset program to replace an anticipated 760,000 acre-feet per year shortage for Central Arizona Project users.

The agreement anticipates the Bureau of Reclamation's Post-2026 Operating Guidelines, which may cut up to 3 million acre-feet annually to Lower Basin States.

The initial 10-year agreement allows for voluntary water transactions between municipal providers, Native communities, and regulatory agencies.

The Phoenix City Council unanimously approved a Mutual Aid Agreement on July 1, 2026, to join the Secure Water Arizona Program (SWAP), a regional initiative designed to mitigate severe water shortages looming over the Colorado River Basin. Driven by a prolonged climate shift that has depleted reservoir storage, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is expected to adopt new Post-2026 Colorado River Operating Guidelines. The federal "preferred alternative" anticipates a 10-year program of water cuts of up to three million acre-feet annually to the Lower Basin States of Arizona, California, and Nevada. To proactively address these reductions, SWAP will establish an emergency reserve for Arizona municipal water providers and a reduction offset program aimed at replacing a 760,000 acre-foot per annum shortage for Colorado River and Central Arizona Project (CR/CAP) users. The program, administered by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), will facilitate voluntary water transactions among a broad coalition of public and private municipal providers, Native communities, and regulatory agencies. Phoenix authorized up to $5 million from its Water Services Department budget to contribute toward CAWCD's administrative costs over an initial 10-year term, which includes options for two five-year extensions. Any future transactional agreements developed under SWAP will be brought back to the Council for individual approval. During the meeting, Mayor Kate Gallego emphasized the strategic importance of the framework. "As Phoenix and communities across Arizona face significant cuts to our Colorado River resources, we need increased flexibility, water sharing options, and options to encourage creative conservation projects," Gallego said. "SWAP creates a mutual support framework... It's a practical program that will allow our state the flexibility to weather the uncertainties in the Colorado River Basin." Vice Mayor Hodge-Washington, the city's representative on the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWA), noted that the agreement is vital to keeping the city's 100-year water supply intact. She praised the efforts of Water Services leadership, explicitly recognizing Water Resource Advisor Max Wilson for presenting the agreement to AMWA members to rally regional participation. "These agreements are a testament to our continued effort to ensure that residents in our beautiful desert city will have continued access to water and our willingness to collaborate with willing partners," Hodge-Washington added.