Bill > HB2714

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for creating and managing rural groundwater management areas (RGMAs) in Arizona. The bill creates five initial rural groundwater management areas, including the Gila Bend, Hualapai Valley, Ranegras Plain, San Simon Valley, and Willcox areas. These areas will be governed by a new council tasked with developing management plans aimed at preserving groundwater supplies. Key provisions include requiring groundwater users to obtain certificates of groundwater use, implementing conservation requirements, and establishing a process for monitoring and managing groundwater withdrawals. The bill introduces a structured approach to groundwater management outside of existing active management areas, with mechanisms for tracking water use, implementing conservation strategies, and potentially reducing groundwater overdraft. Users will be required to apply for certificates of groundwater use based on their historical water usage, with provisions for substantial capital investments and flexibility in water use and transfer. The bill also creates a fund to support these rural groundwater management areas and provides a mechanism for gradual conservation reductions over time. Additionally, the bill converts the existing Willcox Active Management Area into a rural groundwater management area as a pilot implementation of the new system.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/82835