Project Overview

Learn about the proposed action, project purpose and need, and project milestones.

Background

GSC Farm, LLC (GSC Farm) held an entitlement to an annual diversion of up to 2,913.3 acre-feet per year (AFY) of Arizona fourth-priority lower Colorado River water entitlement for irrigation use within the service area of its Contract for Delivery of Colorado River Water for Use in Arizona, between GSC Farm and the United States of America, Contract No. 13-XX-30-W0571, December 23, 2013, as amended. GSC Farm’s Arizona fourth priority Colorado River water entitlement was used to irrigate approximately 485 acres of farmland owned by GSC Farm located within the Cibola Valley Irrigation and Drainage District (CVIDD) in La Paz County, Arizona.

The Town of Queen Creek (Queen Creek) is located in the southeastern part of the greater metropolitan Phoenix area, in Maricopa and Pinal counties, Arizona. Approximately 89,300 people (estimated July 2025) reside in Queen Creek. The Queen Creek water service area extends beyond the town boundaries and encompasses an estimated population of 94,300 individuals (estimated 2024).

On December 17, 2018, GSC Farm and Queen Creek entered into a Purchase and Transfer Agreement for Mainstream Colorado River Water Entitlement providing for the assignment and transfer of GSC Farm’s Arizona fourth priority Colorado River water entitlement to Queen Creek to aid in providing resiliency and stability for Queen Creek’s long-term municipal water needs.  GSC Farm and Queen Creek submitted to Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) a request for consultation for the proposed Water Transfer pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-107(D). On September 4, 2020, ADWR recommended approval of the partial assignment and transfer, as supplemented on January 20, 2021, for a recommended transferrable volume on a consumptive use basis of 2,033.01 AFY of Arizona fourth priority Colorado River water to Queen Creek and recommending that GSC Farm retain 50 AFY of consumptive use (69.93 AFY diversion entitlement) of its Arizona fourth priority Colorado River water entitlement for future use on the land owned by GSC Farm.

The parties then sought Reclamation’s approval to assign and transfer 2,033.01 AFY of GSC Farm’s Arizona fourth-priority lower Colorado River water entitlement to Queen Creek, including modifying the point of diversion, place of use, and type of use. Reclamation completed an environmental assessment and published a finding of no significant impact on August 24, 2022. Reclamation, Queen Creek, and GSC Farm then executed appropriate contracts providing for the assignment and transfer of 2,033.01 AFY of GSC Farm’s Arizona fourth-priority lower Colorado River water entitlement to Queen Creek in April of 2023.

Queen Creek began taking water deliveries in June of 2023.

Purpose and Need

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)’s purpose and need is to further evaluate GSC Farm’s partial assignment and transfer of the Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water entitlement, including changing the point of diversion, place and type of use, and transporting the water in the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal to Queen Creek, in compliance with the Court Orders in Mohave County, et al. v. United States Bureau of Reclamation, et al., Case No. 3:22-CV-08246-MTL (D. Ariz.), dated February 21, 2024, and August 13, 2024. 

Queen Creek’s objective in acquiring the water entitlement is to diversify its water portfolio and reduce its dependence on groundwater.

Proposed Action

Under the Proposed Action, Reclamation would continue to implement the existing water delivery contract between the United States and Queen Creek and the wheeling contract to use the CAP Canal to transport the Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water entitlement held by Queen Creek. Queen Creek would continue to take delivery of an estimated 1,931.36 AFY of its Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water entitlement consistent with the contract. GSC Farm would continue to retain 69.93 AFY of Arizona fourth-priority lower Colorado River water entitlement for domestic use. GSC Farm plans to develop rural housing and seek to transfer and assign its remaining entitlement to a municipal water service provider.

No Action Alternative and Other Alternatives

As required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will consider the Proposed Action and technically and economically feasible alternatives, including a No Action Alternative.  Alternatives considered and dismissed would include those that are not feasible technically or economically or those that do not meet the purpose and need of the proposal.

Major Milestones

  • Final EIS and Record of Decision

    • Target date: April 2027