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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
waterlogged area; exemption area
Purpose
Retroactive to January 1, 1989, requires the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to determine that the withdrawal of up to 10,000 acre-feet of water withdrawn from wells located within a delineated area of the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) by a municipal provider for the purposes of demonstrating an assured water supply for lands located within an irrigation and water conservation district is consistent with the management goal of the Phoenix AMA, is sufficient water that will be continuously available and is not excess water until an outlined date.
Background
The Director of ADWR must develop a management plan for each initial AMA for each of five management periods to meet the management goals of each AMA. The management goal of the Phoenix AMA is safe yield by January 1, 2025 (A.R.S. § 45-562).
Each person who is entitled to use groundwater pursuant to an irrigation grandfathered right on irrigation acres located within a delineated area on a prescribed map of the Phoenix AMA, commonly referred to as the Buckeye Waterlogged Area, is exempt, beginning January 1, 1989, through December 31, 2034, from any irrigation water duties or intermediate water duties established or required to be established for those irrigation acres in the management plans for any of the five management periods for the Phoenix AMA. The boundaries of the exempted area are delineated on a map of the Phoenix AMA and filed in the office of the Secretary of State (A.R.S. § 45-411.01 and ADWR).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Director of ADWR to determine that the withdrawal of up to 10,000 acre-feet of water withdrawn from wells located in the Buckeye Waterlogged Area by a municipal provider for the purposes of demonstrating an assured water supply for lands located within an irrigation and water conservation district is:
a) consistent with the management goal of the Phoenix AMA and is not excess water, until December 31, 2034, or to such date as determined by the Director of ADWR; and
b) sufficient water that will be continuously available to satisfy the portion of the city's or town's proposed water needs for 100 years.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date, retroactive to January 1, 1989.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
· Modifies the requirement for the Director of ADWR to make a determination, as prescribed, regarding specified water withdrawn from the Buckeye Waterlogged Area that is exempt from irrigation water duties.
Senate Action
NR 2/18/25 DPA 4-3-1
Prepared by Senate Research
February 20, 2025
SB/SN/ci