Arizona water officials and others agreed to a $100 million plan Thursday — including $30 million in state tax revenues — designed to deal with the inevitability that the state will have less Colorado River water in 2020.
The drought contingency plan, which still requires approval by lawmakers and others, would pay to have water previously stored underground pumped out to be used to meet at least some the needs of farmers and others who otherwise would find themselves going without. It also involves paying some cash to tribes and others to buy some of the water rights they have.