The Cave Creek Town Council voted 5-2 on Oct. 21 to approve the purchase of a lot with groundwater rights with Harquahala Valley Landowners LLC.
The purchase is needed due to an expected cut in water supplies coming from the Colorado River. Those cuts are to be decided by the end of 2026, and by January 2027 the U.S. government needs to make an approved allocation of water between the upper and lower basins, with Arizona residing in the lower basin.
By 2027, the town is projecting a 25% cut in water supplied by Central Arizona Project, and a 100% cut in Non-Indian Agriculatural water, according to Utilities Director Shawn Kreuzwiesner. That would put the town under the 2,000 acre-feet per year to meet current customer demands.