Historic agreement aims to secure Superior's water future 

By anchoring the negotiations in science rather than politics, both sides created space for honest, often difficult conversations that might otherwise have collapsed under the weight of competing interests.”

Mila Besich, Mayor of the Town of Superior

For most of the year, Queen Creek runs dry. The sandy wash that cuts through Superior is more a shadow of what once sustained the landscape — shaded by cottonwoods and lined with riparian life. When Resolution Copper announced its intention to mine the area after discovering one of the richest copper veins found this century, many worried what that would mean for the town's water supply.

In February 2019, Town Manager Todd Pryor called Mayor Besich after a Community Working Group meeting with a warning: Superior would face serious water problems if it didn't negotiate protections before the mine progressed further toward development. 

This prompted Besich to do something about it. 

Her team called in experts, reviewed historical studies, and went deep into the hydrology data, she said. 

Early in the process, Resolution Copper agreed to fund independent third-party facilitation through the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center.

"By anchoring the negotiations in science rather than politics, both sides created space for honest, often difficult conversations that might otherwise have collapsed under the weight of competing interests," Besich said.

The negotiations also drew on baseline scientific data commissioned by a previous town council as part of the Queen Creek Restoration Project, providing negotiators real numbers to work with. The process ultimately involved dozens of scientists and engineers from universities, federal and state regulatory agencies, and third-party water consultants.

What the agreement does

At its core, the deal is about putting water back — into the creek, into the aquifer, and into Superior's long-term planning.

The agreement commits Resolution Copper to restoring and enhancing flows in Queen Creek by introducing new water into the system, supporting riparian habitat and public recreation along a corridor long central to the town's outdoor economy. Debris removal and invasive vegetation mitigation will help rehabilitate the creek environment, while the rehabilitation or rebuilding of an existing infiltration gallery will improve the system's ability to capture and return water into the creek.

A $5 million endowment will fund long-term watershed restoration, conservation, and water management work in the Queen Creek watershed, ensuring the effort outlasts the construction phase. 

The agreement provides water storage credits and infrastructure investments aimed at supporting an Alternative Designation of Assured Water Supply, the legal mechanism Arizona uses to certify that a community has enough water to support future growth.

The agreement also includes long-term monitoring, mitigation, and infrastructure commitments to address potential impacts over the life of the project.

The landmark agreement with Resolution Copper — a joint venture between mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP — commits more than $20 million toward restoring Queen Creek and securing the town's long-term water supply. Officials called it the first agreement of its kind between an Arizona municipality and a mining company.

The bigger picture

The agreement doesn't exist in a vacuum. Resolution Copper completed a historic land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service in March 2026, unlocking the next phase of development of one of the world's largest untapped copper deposits, which rests just outside Superior. That milestone, achieved after years of litigation, cleared the way for a mine that could eventually become the largest copper producer in the United States. Concerns about groundwater depletion have followed the project for years. The water agreement is Superior's attempt to get ahead of those impacts, Besich said, negotiating real protections now, while the mine is still in development, rather than fight for remediation after the damage is done.

Vicky Peacey, Resolution Copper's president and general manager,  said the agreement reflects a genuine interest in the town's long-term health. 

"The investment is about supporting the community, protecting water resources, and building a strong future together," she said.

Mayor Besich, for her part, is confident that vision will hold. 

"These are not small commitments," she said at the signing ceremony. "These investments will help ensure that our creek, our environment, our community, and Superior's outdoor recreation economy can continue to thrive for generations to come."