M&A is helping this tribal client optimize the reliability of its future water supply and prepare for shortage on the Colorado River.

Native American Client

Location: Northern Arizona
We are evaluating mechanisms to secure supplemental water supplies and are helping the Tribe implement this strategy, which may include agreements for the acquisition, underground storage, and future recovery and exchange of Central Arizona Project water.

OVERVIEW

Since 2012, M&A has advised the Tribe on the impact of Colorado River shortages, assist with optimizing use of the Tribe’s water resources, and to develop a water resources management plan. The Tribe negotiated a proposed Colorado River water rights settlement, and the bill was passed into law in 2023. The settlement includes Colorado River rights and funding for infrastructure to deliver and secure water for the reservation.

SERVICES

  • Developed a model that facilitated the analysis of a range of supply-demand scenarios and their costs
  • Analyzed reliability of the Tribe’s Colorado River water under the proposed Drought Contingency Plan and other shortage sharing plans
  • Evaluated how the Tribe’s negotiated water rights could be impacted by projections of shortages on the Colorado River
  • Advised on the importance of long-range water resources planning and evaluated on-reservation water resources