By Joey Chenoweth | PinalCentral
San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District is taking legal action against the federal government for allegedly overcharging local landowners for their water supply.
According to a press release from SCIDD General Manager Mike Urton, a lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Interior Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. It accuses BIA of charging excessively high rates for the operation and maintenance of the San Carlos Irrigation Project, which oversees Coolidge Dam, San Carlos Reservoir and other infrastructure related to the irrigation of farm land in Pinal County.
SCIDD claims “the federal government violated the terms of various contracts by charging too much for O&M costs each year from fiscal years 2011 through 2017, failing to consult with the District regarding plans for major construction projects and rejecting the District’s requests for information about the BIA’s operations and budgets,” according to the release.
