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In 1971, under Arizona State law, the Central Arizona Water
Conservation District (CAP Water District) was formed as a
special water conservation district responsible for operation and
maintenance of CAP and for repayment to the Interior Department
of construction costs that the Federal Government would incur for
construction of the CAP water distribution system.
In 1976, petitioners and other investors formed the Saddle
Mountain Ranch partnership (the partnership), and for a cost of
approximately $675,000, the partnership acquired an ownership
interest in farmland in Harquahala Valley, Maricopa County,
Arizona.
On February 10, 1983, the Interior Department allocated to
Indian communities, to municipalities and industrial users, and
to non-Indian agricultural users including irrigation districts
such as HID, rights each year to receive, through the CAP
distribution system, up to a specified quantity of Colorado River
water. Notice of Final Decision, 48 Fed. Reg. 12446 (Mar. 24,
1983). Under this allocation, HID was granted the right to
obtain Colorado River water for redistribution to Harquahala
Valley landowners for the purpose of irrigating farmland located
within geographic boundaries of the HID water district.
As set forth in the following schedule, the specific
quantity of lower Colorado River water to which HID was entitled
for the above purpose was 7.67 percent of non-Indian agricultural
lower Colorado River water that was available each year:
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Last modified: May 25, 2011