Arizona high court turns away challenge to budget sweeps that grabbed money from water fund

Arizona high court turns away budget challenge

PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court has turned away a challenge to sweeps of nearly $14 million from a special water projects fund to help balance the state budget.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to accept a special-action lawsuit filed directly with the state high court by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District.

The district is the state entity that runs the Central Arizona Project aqueduct system and related water projects.

Those projects include one to store water underground. According to the district’s lawsuit, at least some of the money swept from the fund was paid to Arizona by Nevada for water storage.