The Arizona Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on a lawsuit involving water usage for a proposed 7,000-home development near one of the Southwest's only free-flowing rivers.
The court will issue a ruling Thursday on the case against the Pueblo Del Sol Water Company over concerns that its planned groundwater use will affect the San Pedro River, which flows north from Sonora, Mexico, for 130 miles to the Gila River.
It's one few remaining free-flowing rivers in the Southwest.
At stake is whether the developer should take into account not just water availability but also the federal government's water rights in the area and how the development would impact the San Pedro River area.
An appellate court previously overturned a lower court's finding that the state Arizona Department of Water Resources inadequately approved the water company's permit.