First-ever legal transfer of water from rural Arizona to cities approved for Buckeye, Queen Creek

Article originally posted on HERE on July 21, 2025

Buckeye and Queen Creek can now access groundwater from a farming area in western Phoenix.

The move comes after officials from the Department of Water Resources approved the first-ever legal transfer of water from rural Arizona to cities.

The agreement will allow the communities of Buckeye and Queen Creek to withdraw up to 5,926 acre-feet per year and 5,000 acre-feet per year, respectively from the Harquahala basin.

Still, the question remains as to whether this is a permanent solution.

Sarah Porter is the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. She says this inter-basin transfer isn’t a total answer to ensuring that Arizona has enough water to continue to grow.

“Increasingly, I think there’s a recognition that we need to find some other water supplies.”

The agreement is authorized for up to 110 years, enough to serve more than 30,000 homes.