An Unexpected Alliance: A conversation with Salt River Project about collaborative efforts to protect habitat and surface water flows on the Lower San Pedro River.

SRP has multiple interests in the lower San Pedro River (LSPR). The first relates to the Roosevelt Lake Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Part of SRP’s mitigation obligations under the HCP are to acquire and manage into perpetuity replacement habitat for southwestern willow flycatchers and yellow-billed cuckoos on the lower San Pedro River. SRP also received mitigation credit under the HCP for the acquisition of surface water rights on the river. As a result, almost 1200 acres of riparian habitat and 2556 annual acre-feet of surface water rights dating back to 1865 were acquired on the river to secure the water supply stored in Roosevelt Lake.

The second area of interest is the ongoing Gila River Adjudication efforts, specifically the Superior Court’s directions to the Arizona Department of Water Resources to delineate a methodology to determine the subflow zone of the San Pedro River.

SRP will discuss management of the mitigation properties, their efforts to sever and transfer surface water rights from agriculture to instream flow for wildlife, perspectives on the subflow methodology and collaborative efforts of conservation landowners, mining companies, government agencies and the community to protect the LSPR.