Summary:  Central Arizona Project

Country:  U.S.A.

Overview:  The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a complex canal system for transporting water from the Colorado River southeastward across the state of Arizona. The system includes 14 pumping plants to lift the water up a series of “stair-steps” as the route climbs over 2,000 ft in elevation to its final destination.

Initial Construction (Years):  1973-1993 

Managing Agency:  Central Arizona Water Conservation District  – also known as Central Arizona Project (CAP)  http://www.cap-az.com/

Major Source:  Colorado River

Major Destination:  Central and Southern Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson) 

Construction Type:  Canal

Length (Colorado River to CAP Terminus):  336 miles (541 km)  

Maximum Capacity:  2.2 million acre-feet per year (Central Arizona Water Conservation District. 2016. Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.cap-az.com/about-us/faq)

Average Transport:  1.5 million acre-feet per year (Central Arizona Water Conservation District. 2016. Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.cap-az.com/about-us/faq)

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Creative Commons License (CC-BY):  This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

How to cite this work:   Chaney, P.L.  2021.  Central Arizona Project AU. [Google Earth File].  The IBT Water Project. https://www.auburn.edu/cosam/faculty/geosciences/chaney/ibtwater/central_arizona.htm

References

Arizona Capital Television.  2016. ACTV Presents: Central Arizona Project.  [Video File]. YouTube. Published on Apr 29, 2016.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7eGA06xAk.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Arizona Centennial Commission. (n.d.).  Central Arizona Project. The Arizona Experience.  http://arizonaexperience.org/innovate/water-management-central-arizona-project.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Arizona Department of Water Resources. 2014.  Active Management Area Water Supply – Central Arizona Project Water. AZ.GOV. Updated March 27, 2014.  http://www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/WaterAtlas/ActiveManagementAreas/PlanningAreaOverview/WaterSupply.htm.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

CAPGISadmin. 2015.  Central Arizona Project Canal Centerline.  [ArcGIS Feature Layer]. ArcGIS.com.  Created: Jan 6, 2015; Updated: Feb 2, 2017. Credits: Central Arizona Project. http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=b877e96b8cdc4ce59c13d50b9471a314.   Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

CAPGISadmin.  2017. Colorado River Basin Canals.  [ArcGIS Feature Layer].  ArcGIS.com.  Created: Oct 15, 2013; Updated: Feb 2, 2017. Credits: Central Arizona Project, Bureau of Reclamation, and BING Aerials. http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=32c4acebfb204836a8c9d431e2444c71.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

CAPH2O.  2015.  Central Arizona Project: 30 Years of Shaping Arizona.  [Video File]. YouTube. Published on Jul 21, 2015.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x1FOPDFISQ.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Central Arizona Water Conservation District. 2016. Background and History. CAP: Central Arizona Project.  http://www.cap-az.com/about-us/background.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Central Arizona Water Conservation District. 2016. Frequently Asked Questions. CAP: Central Arizona Project.   http://www.cap-az.com/about-us/faq.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Central Arizona Water Conservation District. 2016. Recharge Program. CAP: Central Arizona Project.   http://www.cap-az.com/departments/recharge-program.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Central Arizona Water Conservation District. 2016. System Map. CAP: Central Arizona Project.  http://www.cap-az.com/about-us/system-map.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Fitzgerald, T.  2012.  Central Arizona Project Canal Trail. American Trails. 2012 Fall: 17-19.  http://www.atfiles.org/resources/land/Central-Arizona-Project-Canal-Trail.html.  Last Accessed: 02 November 2018.

Studio 522 Production. 2010.  CAP Virtual Tour.  [Video File]. YouTube.  Published on Feb 29, 2010.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYnNAjfD7Dk.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Tucson Water. 2018. Clearwater Renewable Resource Facility.  City of Tucson.   https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/clearwater.  Last Accessed: 02 November 2018.

Tucson Water. 2018. Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project.  City of Tucson.   https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/cavsarp.  Last Accessed: 02 November 2018.

Tucson Water. 2018. Southern Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project.  City of Tucson.  https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/savsarp.  Last Accessed: 02 November 2018. 

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. (n.d.).  Ambitious Water Infrastructure Project Begins.   https://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/AZ100/1970/topstory.html.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  (n.d.).  Central Arizona Project.  https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=504.  Last Accessed: 02 November 2018.

Wikipedia Contributors. 2018. Central Arizona Project.Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last Edited on 8 November 2018.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Arizona_Project.  Last Accessed: 13 November 2018.

Personal Communications

Special Thanks to Kelly Ramirez, Communication Representative, Central Arizona Project

Special Thanks to Fernando Molina, Public Information Officer, Tucson Water

Request for Assistance:  Missing and conflicting information is an ongoing challenge in this project. Although significant effort has been made to map the IBTs main route and key features, some important details may have been missed. We apologize in advance for any errors and request your assistance in making necessary revisions. 

Last Updated: 01 April 2021