Bill > SB1197

This bill, concerning irrigation grandfathered rights in Arizona, establishes new rules for how these rights and their associated water duties can be managed and transferred within "subsequent active management areas" (AMAs), which are regions designated for groundwater management. Specifically, it allows owners of irrigation grandfathered rights to use, sell, transfer, or lease both the right itself and the "water duty," which refers to the authorized volume of water allocated to specific irrigated lands. Owners can choose not to irrigate certain lands and instead sell, transfer, or lease the water duty associated with those un-irrigated acres to another irrigator within the same AMA, or they can keep the water duty and use its full volume on other parts of their farm. Recipients of a sold, leased, or transferred water duty can use it anywhere within the AMA for irrigation and can even convey it further. Owners proposing such actions must notify the director, providing details about un-irrigated acres, retained water duties, or the terms of any conveyance, including lease durations. The director is mandated to create rules, potentially including flexibility accounts, to put these provisions into effect.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84275