Ak-Chin Indian Community maintains access to additional water supply

The Ak-Chin Indian Community will continue to receive up to 10,000 acre-feet of additional water from the Colorado River each year whenever there’s a surplus, thanks to a recent legal ruling.

The Ninth Circuit granted the Central Arizona Water Conservation District’s request to drop its appeal of a ruling that requires the district to deliver the extra water each year there’s additional water available, according to an article in Law360.

Robert Miguel, Chairman of the Ak-Chin Indian Community

In the mid-1980s, the Ak-Chin Indian Community and the federal government entered an agreement outlining the tribe’s water entitlements, according to the Law360 article. Each year since, the Secretary of the Interior has ordered 75,000 acre-feet of water to be delivered to the Ak-Chin Indian Community through the Central Arizona Project, overseen by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD). During years with surplus water available, up to 10,000 acre-feet of additional water was sent to the Ak-Chin Indian Community.

Each year, the water district delivered the surplus water upon approval from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. However, in 2017, the water district announced that it would no longer deliver the additional water to Ak-Chin Indian Community starting in 2018. The Ak-Chin Indian Community challenged this decision, and was dropped. The ruling will continue to provide additional Colorado River water to the Ak-Chin Indian Community every year when there’s a surplus available.

Steve Coester, Manager, Ak-Chin Farms

The Ak-Chin Indian Community covers 22,000 acres in Pinal County, including the 15,000-acre Ak-Chin Farms. In the Law360 article, Ak-Chin Indian Community Chairman Robert Miguel noted the decision was consistent with the tribe’s long-standing interpretation of its water rights.

“The decision ensures Ak-Chin will continue to have access to its full water rights, which is critical to sustaining tribal farming operations. On behalf of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, we are pleased that CAWCD has accepted the District Court’’s ruling and that the parties can put this dispute behind them,” Miguel said.

Congratulations to the Ak-Chin Indian Community for maintaining their water rights!

Last Updated on 07/15/2019 by Carolyn Sostrom

About the Author:

Carolyn Sostrom

Biography:

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle.

She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*.

With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower.

She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix.

Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.

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