Lake Havasu City and AWR Appeal Refuge Manager’s Determination.

Lake Havasu City and Arizona Water Resources, LLC, are appealing the Refuge Manager’s decision, citing both procedural and substantive defects. They contend that the Refuge Manager failed to comply with a provision of the Administrative Procedures Act that requires decisions of federal officials to be made only after consultation with interested parties, and that he neglected to consult with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and in particular, the people of Lake Havasu City who are seeking the water that would be supplied by the project. Substantively, the appellants argue that the Refuge manager also failed to analyze relevant criteria, that he mischaracterized the project itself and both minimized project benefits or exaggerated project impacts in order to support his conclusion.