Big Chino water fight expected to continue through the summer

The hearing over Prescott and Prescott Valley's plans to build a 30-mile pipeline to import water from Big Chino valley [right, credit City of Prescott] is going to continue well into the summer based on what I read in a story in the Prescott Daily Courier.

The consultant for the opponents said groundwater would drop 600-700 feet after 100 years, but the city's consultant testified the drop would be about 520 feet in that time frame.

There was apparently much debate of a U.S. Geological Survey report by Laurie Wirt, that estimated 80-86% of the flow in the Upper Verde River Springs comes from the Big Chino. Opponents to Prescott's plans argue that pumping the Big Chino will draw down the Verde River source.