Bill > HB2515

This bill establishes a new section in Arizona law requiring the Department of State Lands to create and collect an annual groundwater withdrawal fee from lessees of state land used for agriculture, specifically for groundwater used for irrigation. This fee applies to agricultural state lands located outside of designated "active management areas" and "irrigation non-expansion areas," which are defined by existing state water law to manage groundwater resources. Lessees must report annually to the department the location of their wells, the amount of groundwater withdrawn, and how it was used. The collected fees will be deposited into the fund of the appropriate beneficiary, meaning the entity or purpose that the state land is designated to support. The legislature intends for this fee to reflect the fair market value of the withdrawn groundwater, aiming to ensure that the state land trust benefits appropriately from this resource.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84296