Arizona’s diverse water portfolio includes groundwater and surface water. Although some of the surface water comes from local supplies within central Arizona, much of it comes from the Colorado River, many miles away. 

This water takes a trek from the mountains of the upper Colorado River Basin southward to Lake Powell, through the Grand Canyon, then near Las Vegas into Lake Mead, and finally to Lake Havasu in western Arizona. There, at CAP’s Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant, water is diverted and lifted more than 800 feet uphill into the Buckskin Mountain Tunnel.

Finally, it flows into the 336-mile CAP canal.

And another leg of the adventure begins.

Once in the CAP system, which flows through the Valley of the Sun, through Pinal County, and ends just south of Tucson, this vital Colorado River water is delivered to cities, towns, tribes, irrigation districts, mines and industrial water users.

CAP water is essential to the health, economy and environment of central and southern Arizona.