Cave Creek Water 2027

With the expectation that the Town of Cave Creek will experience a reduction in Colorado River water deliveries from Central Arizona Project (CAP) starting in 2027, Town staff have been working to secure water solutions to meet the current and future needs of water customers. The most current planning projection indicates a 25% reduction, although this percentage may be higher due to uncertainty.

Recent Articles Concerning Cave Creek

November 6, 2025 - AZ Central, "Without a deal on the Colorado River, deeper cuts loom. How 9 Arizona cities will respond" - Austin Corona

Cave Creek: Keeping ‘the wolf away from the door’ Read portion of article about Cave Creek from the Nov. 6 article in the AZ Central article.

Colorado River cuts could hit the tiny town of Cave Creek harder than any other municipality, town officials say, potentially grinding growth to a halt and pulling the town government into lawsuits over unfulfilled water contracts.

Cave Creek is almost entirely dependent on its Colorado River supplies, which were stretched even before the shortages. Under new cuts in 2027, Cave Creek may have to halt all new development, potentially dragging the town into court, according to town officials. Cave Creek is exploring options to gain new water supplies and stay out of lawsuits, but all those options come with large price tags that the 5,000-person town may not be able to afford.

Cave Creek gets more than 90% of its water from the Colorado River. The town’s only other water resource is groundwater, which is rapidly declining in the Cave Creek area.

“We do not have a source of water to replace (the Colorado River) right now. We're working on it, but the best we'll be able to do is find some temporary source to keep the wolf away from the door for a couple of years,” said Cave Creek Mayor Robert Morris.

Bureau of Reclamation Post-2026 Operations
Several reservoir and water management decisional documents and agreements that govern the operation of Colorado River facilities and management of the Colorado River are scheduled to expire at the end of 2026. These include the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2007 Interim Guidelines), the 2019 Drought Contingency Plans, as well as international agreements between the United States and Mexico pursuant to the United States-Mexico Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande (1944 Water Treaty).The Post-2026 process is a multi-year NEPA process that will identify a range of alternatives and determine operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead and other water management actions for potentially decades into the future.

Cave Creek water boost is near - The Foothills Focus

State of Arizona Approves New Water Supply, First-Ever Groundwater Transportation Order from Harquahala Basin

Articles About the Colorado River Drought

"As the Colorado River slowly dries up, states angle for in fluence over future water rights", August 7, 2025.  Sarah Porter. Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University