GILBERT, AZ — Gilbert leaders say they're preparing for an uncertain water future, and a new partnership with Queen Creek is one of the steps that could help protect residents if supplies become more limited.
Gilbert Town Leaders say the agreement would allow Queen Creek to pump and deliver water Gilbert previously stored in the region, if and when it's needed. Leaders say the interconnection is designed as an emergency backstop, triggered by drought or a significant cut to Arizona's Colorado River allocation. It would also help maintain water pressure across Gilbert's distribution system.
Queen Creek says the deal does not touch its own groundwater. The water being recovered already belongs to Gilbert.
Gilbert Water Resources Manager Lauren Hixson said the town is acting now because the future of Colorado River supplies remains unclear.
"We don't know yet what the Colorado River situation is going to be for next year. We don't know how much supply we're going to have, so we're making sure we take the steps we can to secure our system," Hixson said.
For first-generation farmer and rancher Jena Toscano, that uncertainty is not abstract. Her horses, her facility, and the people who depend on her all run on water.
"It worries me a lot. I have a lot of horses under my care and a lot of people who depend on water and a lot of our horses that depend on water and our facility and the feed for all of these animals, so it's scary," Toscano, CEO of Toscano Farms, said.
Toscano said scarcity hits farmers on multiple fronts, driving up the cost of irrigation, hay, and livestock care.
"Water scarcity... us not having access to water to keep our grasses and our food that all of these animals in this town eat... that's a significant problem," Toscano said.
The Queen Creek partnership is one piece of a larger strategy.
Gilbert is also drilling new wells and asking residents to conserve water this summer.
See more of our recent Impact Earth and water coverage here.
