By Shaun McKinnon
The Arizona Republic
As plans for the Central Arizona Project fell into place more than four decades ago, state officials made two decisions that reverberate even more loudly today than they did at the time.
Arizona agreed to let California take its water from the Colorado River first, even if it meant there might not be enough left to fill the CAP Canal, and the state elected to build a coal-fired power plant to run the canal’s pumps.
“The two biggest decisions made to get us built put us in the most jeopardy,” said David Modeer, the general manager of CAP, whose governing board and staff are working to reduce the risk of future water shortages and avoid the high costs of proposed air-pollution controls on the power plant.
The challenges facing the CAP are not unique. Over the past year, The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com examined the history and modern realities of the state’s air, land and water management. In each, there was a common theme. Decisions made years ago, as the state grew and developed, have put those resources at risk today.
