Odd Ball HCR2051 - 562R - H Ver of HCR2051

House Engrossed

rural communities; groundwater; tools

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-sixth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2024

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2051

A Concurrent Resolution

expressing the opinion that this state's rural communities have the necessary tools to address groundwater supplies and ensure future water security.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Whereas, water security is an essential element of ensuring a strong economy and continued growth and, accordingly, is a priority for the State of Arizona; and

Whereas, many rural communities in this state provide natural resources that are essential to this state, local economies and the nation, including agriculture, critical minerals and power production; and

Whereas, this Legislature has provided numerous tools for rural communities to address groundwater supplies and ensure future water security; and

Whereas, in 1945, the state passed legislation authorizing local communities to establish domestic water improvement districts to provide for the shared development of local water resources, including common wells and distribution systems that could allow for water hauling and delivery. To date, no new domestic water improvement districts have been proposed in areas claiming to face challenges with private wells and individual water supplies; and

Whereas, in 1986, the state passed legislation authorizing county flood control districts to construct, operate and maintain groundwater recharge facilities. Some counties have completed recharge projects that have benefitted the aquifer in rural parts of the state, which could be duplicated throughout the state; and

Whereas, in 2007, the Legislature passed S.B. 1575, which allows for the establishment of adequate water supply requirements in rural counties and requires a 100-year water supply. Yuma and Cochise counties have adopted such requirements; and

Whereas, in 2016, the Legislature passed S.B. 1459, which allows counties to establish well deepening and water improvement programs to help with private wells; and

Whereas, in 2016, the Legislature passed S.B. 1399, which directed the Department of Water Resources and the State Land Department to work together to develop a plan to establish new water storage facilities in this state and to conduct a study to identify potential underground water storage and groundwater recharge locations on Arizona state trust land. The study led to the identification of 331 potential sites for the development of new underground storage or groundwater recharge facilities on Arizona state trust land; and

Whereas, in 2021, the Legislature passed H.B. 2388, which gave rural natural resource conservation districts, public water systems and counties access to Water Infrastructure Finance Authority Water Supply Development Fund monies and expanded the scope of projects that are eligible to receive these monies to include active or passive stormwater recharge structures that increase water supplies; and

Whereas, in 2022, the Legislature passed S.B. 1740, which appropriated substantial monies to the Water Supply Development Revolving Fund to increase investment in additional recharge projects and increased the total amount that could be awarded per grant; and

Whereas, in 2023, the Legislature passed H.B. 2438, which allowed rural counties to participate in water reuse and recycling programs and regional wastewater recharge projects; and

Whereas, less than 13% of Arizona lands are taxable private property and are part of the local and state property tax base that supports rural communities and the state's economy. Keeping these limited private lands in private hands and allowing owners to maximize the economic use of such lands, including the water resources associated with such lands, will benefit rural communities and the state's economy; and

Whereas, best management practices for ensuring water security include recharge projects, range management and the ability to reuse water; and

Whereas, according to the United States Department of the Interior and Arizona Department of Water Resources, approximately 95% to 98% of the rainfall in Arizona is lost to evaporation and transpiration before it has a chance to recharge into the aquifer; and

Whereas, an increase in natural recharge of just a few percentage points of annual rainfall before it is lost to evaporation or use could be enough to help address groundwater supplies in rural Arizona; and

Whereas, according to the Water Resources Research Center of the University of Arizona, groundwater recharge projects are a "multi-purpose water management tool"; and

Whereas, in 2016, the Hereford Natural Resource Conservation District entered into a voluntary agreement with private landowners and Cochise County to construct a stormwater recharge facility in the Upper San Pedro Groundwater Basin to increase groundwater recharge and reduce stormwater runoff; and

Whereas, in 2017, the Arizona Association of Counties issued to the Horseshoe Draw Sediment Control and Stormwater Recharge Project in Cochise County the prestigious "Summit Award" for its multiparty partnership and recognized benefits to the aquifer, including to stormwater runoff, grassland restoration for wildlife and livestock, and increased natural annual recharge to the Upper San Pedro Groundwater Basin; and

Whereas, Arizona law recognizes that this state's 42 natural resource conservation districts have special expertise in the fields of land, water, soil and natural resources management and have primary authority to develop comprehensive plans to conserve water, protect water rights and enter into agreements with landowners to develop water projects; and

Whereas, constructing intentional recharge facilities can help increase the percentage infiltration into the aquifer and, therefore, help to address additional groundwater supplies in rural Arizona; and

Whereas, this state and local communities have done much, and should continue to use the tools they have, to capture and store more stormwater, rainwater and floodwater locally when it falls; and

Whereas, Arizona's rural communities are well-equipped to address their groundwater supply and security issues.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

That the Legislature and the local communities in this state have provided and will continue to provide rural communities in this state with an abundance of tools to adequately manage and address their groundwater resources, both now and in the future.