Bill > HB2513

This bill modifies Arizona's groundwater code to refine the procedures for designating and reviewing "subsequent irrigation non-expansion areas," which are areas outside of active management areas where groundwater is insufficient for current irrigation needs. Key changes include clarifying that "reasonably safe supply for irrigation" means a reliable groundwater source for one hundred years, and allowing the director to consider projected future changes in water withdrawal rates when determining insufficiency. The bill also updates the requirements for petitions to initiate these designations, specifying who is eligible to sign and requiring a groundwater flow model and hydrologic report. It clarifies that the director's determination of a petition's compliance is not subject to judicial review unless the petition is deemed non-compliant, in which case it becomes an appealable agency action. The bill also adjusts the timing and scope of limitations on irrigated acres during the designation process and modifies the review process for the director's final orders, limiting judicial review to those who participated in the process and to issues raised during the hearing. Finally, it establishes a three-year waiting period before a new petition can be filed for an area if the director initially declines to designate it as a subsequent irrigation non-expansion area.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84294