Economic Analysis of Water Allocation Alternatives for the Gila River Indian Community

Client: Subconsultant to Keller-Bliesner Engineering, LLC

Location: Arizona

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX examined the benefits, costs, and markets associated with banking surface water supplies to the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) in off-Reservation Arizona Water Bank (AWB) projects. Cardno ENTRIX developed a database of market water leases in Arizona, conducted a literature review on the costs and benefits of water exchange agreements and water leases, updated irrigated crop budgets, and analyzed the market opportunities and limits for irrigated crops and current and future market value of off-Reservation water leases. These results provided input to the GRIC Water Resource Decision Support System that will assist the GRIC in formulating a water management strategy that meets short-, intermediate-, and long-term Community goals and objectives.