Working Together to Pass Rural Groundwater Management in Arizona

Proper now, in almost 80 % of the state, communities are struggling underneath the pressure of the state’s inadequate rural groundwater protections. A number of proposals to handle rural groundwater have been launched within the Arizona Legislature this 12 months by Senator Tim Dunn (R), Senator Priya Sundareshan (D), and Representative Chris Mathis (D). 

Senate Bill 1520, sponsored by Senator Dunn, is the invoice at present shifting by way of the method, having handed out of the total Senate in addition to the Home Committee on Pure Assets, Vitality, and Water. Nonetheless, for any laws to be enacted and signed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D), lawmakers should maintain negotiating to achieve the required political compromise.  

Among the many proposals, there appears to be normal settlement that water customers in rural Arizona may gain advantage from a brand new, extra versatile groundwater administration device that:  

• Allocates water use certificates based mostly on previous use or substantial capital funding 
• Quantifies historic and present water use based mostly on sound information  
• Creates a brand new administration framework that stops new giant groundwater pumping inside a groundwater basin except an present water use certificates is acquired 
• Permits water use certificates to be transferred inside a groundwater basin to satisfy altering wants while not having to additionally switch land  
• Promotes annual flexibility with water use by establishing flex accounts that one can credit score and debit  
• Requires water conservation or water use reductions over time  
• Reduces water use certificates when transferred to new makes use of 
• Is guided with enter from native stakeholders and supported with technical help from the Arizona Division of Water Assets 

All issues thought-about, there are a whole lot of similarities on a framework for brand spanking new water laws. 

That’s the reason now is a good time to encourage your lawmakers to work together to find solutions for a brand new, versatile groundwater administration device for rural Arizona.  

It’s important that we handle the water assets we’ve got as correctly as doable—and managing groundwater in additional elements of Arizona can be a giant accomplishment in the direction of assembly that goal. 

You’ll be able to let your lawmakers know this issue is important to you, and we should always resolve it—this legislative session.  

The species beneath are among the birds that depend on habitat inside the Chiricahua Mountain Important Bird Area, positioned within the San Simon Valley Groundwater Basin (which at present doesn’t have any groundwater protections).