SCIF.

You may have heard the acronym … but what is it and what does it mean?

SCIF stands for SRP-CAP Interconnection Facility. The proposed infrastructure would further connect the two largest raw water delivery systems in the state – Central Arizona Project (CAP) and Salt River Project (SRP). This would allow SRP’s local surface water supplies from the Salt and Verde rivers to join CAP’s Colorado River supplies in the CAP canal and would be facilitated through the legal framework of the System Use Agreement and a process called wheeling.

A CSIF already exists (CAP-SRP Interconnection Facility), which was established in 1990. Thus, CAP has been able to deliver Colorado River supplies into the SRP system. Now, this proposed SCIF would allow the opposite to happen.

Sounds simple, right?

But the reality is that large infrastructure projects like SCIF come with a lot of complexity. All wheeling projects must undergo National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.

One component to that review has to do with water quality as new sources of water are introduced into the CAP canal. The Water Quality Guidance Document that defines these requirements and modeling was recently approved by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) Board.

Interested in learning more? A Stakeholder Briefing was held on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. The presentation and video from that briefing can be found on CAP’s website.