Audubon Applauds Bipartisan Water Solution for Arizona’s Urban Areas

Lawmakers proved that they’ll work in a bipartisan trend on water points in Arizona with the passage of Senate Bill 1611, groundwater financial savings credit score, also referred to as “Ag to City.” As we face powerful selections forward on the Colorado River, it’s noteworthy to see this degree of collaboration amongst Republican and Democratic lawmakers on a significant water challenge in Arizona.  

Audubon Southwest focuses on bettering water safety for communities, habitats, and birds throughout Arizona. We have interaction on the state legislature to advance these policy and funding priorities to enhance Arizona’s water outlook and to guard our lands and waters.  

Why is that this laws vital?  

In 2019, the Arizona Division of Water Sources discovered that the Pinal Energetic Administration Space not had groundwater obtainable for brand spanking new housing growth that relied solely on groundwater. The subtle evaluation carried out by the Arizona Division of Water Sources revealed there could be “unmet demand” over 100 years if new housing progress was allowed to proceed. In 2023, the Phoenix Energetic Administration Space confronted the identical scenario. All of the groundwater was spoken for in these two Energetic Administration Areas and there could possibly be no new housing progress on groundwater.  

Whereas this was the intention of the Groundwater Management Act, to make sure enough water for progress, what this meant in follow was that the present agricultural lands within the Pinal and Phoenix Energetic Administration Areas may proceed pumping the groundwater they’d traditionally been utilizing—however they may not convert to housing growth, which makes use of much less water per acre than agriculture and permits for extra water reuse (as a result of homes generate wastewater via bathroom flushing and different indoor makes use of; that water will be purified and reused to recharge groundwater, for instance). 

So, stakeholders from throughout the water group and throughout the political aisle labored collectively over the past two years to suggest an answer that will permit present agricultural lands pumping groundwater to transform to decrease water use growth. 

Why did Audubon assist the invoice? 

Audubon Southwest monitored and engaged within the dialog on the Ag to City idea, from its inception on the Governor’s Water Coverage Council, the place I preserve a seat on the desk, via the passage of the laws. Audubon Southwest supported the coverage framework from the Governor’s Water Coverage Council and submitted a letter in March 2025 to the Arizona Division of Water Sources once they have been soliciting suggestions. Then, because the Ag to City concept developed within the legislative course of, Audubon engaged with legislators and supported the ultimate negotiated model—one which upheld the Groundwater Administration Act, saved groundwater over time, pushed housing progress to be extra water-wise, and inspired growth to happen in “Designated Suppliers” (water suppliers that may show they’ve a 100-year provide for water for all makes use of inside their boundaries).  

Below the Ag to City program included in Senate Invoice 1611, agricultural groundwater customers can voluntarily retire their pumping rights in change for Groundwater Financial savings Credit that can be utilized for decrease water use growth and utilized in direction of the bodily availability requirement of the 100-year Assured Water Provide Program for Designated Suppliers (a trademark of Arizona water administration).  

Within the Phoenix Energetic Administration Space, the Arizona Division of Water Sources conservatively estimates that the Ag to City program will save 7.1 million acre-feet of water over 100 years from this system. Within the Pinal Energetic Administration Space, this system is predicted to avoid wasting 2.5 million acre-feet over 100 years. By permitting housing growth on agricultural lands, groundwater pumping shall be decreased as residential houses use much less water than agriculture and the water from these houses will be extra successfully recycled or used to recharge the aquifer.  

The idea improved from final legislative session to incorporate enough guardrails to make sure groundwater financial savings could be achieved over time and that there was no weakening of the Groundwater Administration Act, all whereas permitting for water-wise housing growth and inspiring city growth in water supplier service areas which have a 100-year water provide.  

Moreover, to extend effectivity and additional scale back water use, the laws prohibits a municipal supplier from utilizing groundwater for non-functional grass, waterparks, lakes, ponds, and ornamental water options on the retired agricultural acres. Municipalities and Owners Associations are prohibited from requiring non-functional grass, waterparks, lakes crammed with groundwater, ponds, or ornamental water options on these lands. 

We’re inspired to see lawmakers come collectively, working throughout the aisle and with the Governor, to handle this want in our state. It serves as a reminder that we will tackle tough water challenges via collaboration, creativity, and compromise in Arizona.