Judge rules against large planned development in Sierra Vista, Arizona, finding it lacks an adequate water supply, reversing 2013 decision by Arizona Dept. of Water Resources; proposed development includes 7,000 new homes and offices
Allison Oesterle
TUCSON, Arizona
,
June 10, 2014
(Associated Press)
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A judge has sided with water conservationists who say a large, planned development in Sierra Vista is not sustainable because it lacks an adequate water supply.
The ruling by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Crane McClennen reversed a 2013 decision by the Arizona Department of Water Resources that found there is enough water in the San Pedro River to sustain 7,000 new homes and offices in Sierra Vista for at least 100 years.
The federal Bureau of Land Management and conservationists appealed the decision, saying the Department of Water Resources decision didn't taken into account a decades-old legal battle over San Pedro River water rights. They argue there is evidence that the long-term water supply will be inadequate.
A spokeswoman for the water agency says attorneys are reviewing the ruling.
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