Hearing over water transfer in La Paz county takes place in Phoenix

Yuma County, and the City of Yuma have joined a joint lawsuit over the ongoing river transfers

YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - Wednesday was the first hearing in a lawsuit involving both the City and County of Yuma, trying to prevent transfers of Colorado River water to central Arizona.

In December, both Yuma County and the City of Yuma joined a lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation.

The issue is a transfer of 2,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water from La Paz county to Queen Creek in central Arizona.

As their town council unanimously approved the purchase for $27 million.

On Wednesday in federal court, the first hearing in the case.

As Yuma lawmakers made sure to be present in the state capitol.

“If people can make 3 to 5 times their investment, brokering water, it means we’re putting rural Arizona up for sale. And without water, rural Arizona goes away," Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls said.

While the lawsuit is ongoing local agencies like the Yuma County Water Users Association continue to monitor all the water that does make it to us from the Colorado River.

Tom Davis has been with the Water Users Association for over a decade.

He says water transfers aren’t a new idea, but they’re still concerning for rural parts of Arizona like Yuma.

“The danger of that transfer is it sets a precedence of sending water that is a direct diversion right to the central part of the state,” Davis said.

Amid the legal back and forth, Davis adds there is some good news on Yuma’s water supply.

Due to a strong winter season snowpack from Colorado.

While one season of snow may not be a long-term solution, Davis says anything helps.

“Certainly it’s going to make Lake Powell look a lot different than it has the last six to seven years,” Davis said.

No date has been set for the next hearing in the water transfer lawsuit.