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Queen Creek received a long-awaited green light from the Bureau of Reclamation to finalize a controversial plan to buy water directly from farmland along the Colorado River.

Driving the news: The Bureau of Reclamation on Friday issued a document known as a Finding of No Significant Impact for Queen Creek's plan.

Details: Queen Creek will pay GSC Farm LLC about $21 million for perpetual rights to 2,033 acre-feet of water per year.

Why it matters: The agreement will help ensure a water supply for Queen Creek as it continues its rapid growth. Its population went from 26,361 in 2010 to 59,519 a decade later.

Between the lines: If the water were used for new housing, it could supply about 6,000 homes, Gardner said.

Of note: The Colorado River basin, which includes Arizona, is in the midst of a 22-year megadrought that has led to several cuts to our state's allocation of water from the Central Arizona Project (CAP), which transports water from the river to other parts of the state.

The other side: Queen Creek's plan had plenty of detractors, including officials in La Paz, Mohave and Yuma counties along the river, and state Rep. Regina Cobb (R), who has spent much of her career in the legislature focused on water issues.

Cobb says she is worried about the effect that the water transfer will have on Cibola and is concerned that the bureau set a new precedent for similar deals in both Arizona and California.

What's next: There are still additional steps that must be completed before the plan becomes final, including executing agreements involving the town, GSC Farm, CAP and the bureau.

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