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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
Senate: NR DP 5-2-1-0 | 3rd Read DPA 17-12-1-0-0
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SB 1523: water use; prohibition; landscaping
Sponsor: Senator Dunn, LD 25
House Engrossed
Overview
Prohibits a municipality located in an initial active management area (AMA) from adopting or enforcing rules relating to certain plants.
History
Active Management Areas (AMAs)
There are currently 7 active management areas (AMAs) that are subject to regulation according to the Arizona Groundwater Code. There are 5 initial AMAs (Prescott, Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson and Santa Cruz) and 2 subsequent AMAs (Douglas and Willcox) (ADWR).
Current law requires the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to adopt a series of five management plans for each AMA, beginning in 1980 and running through 2025 containing progressively more rigorous management requirements for agricultural, municipal and industrial water users. The plans include mandatory conservation programs designed to achieve reductions in groundwater withdrawals and apply to persons withdrawing, distributing or receiving groundwater. (A.R.S. Title 45, chapter 2, article 9).
Low Water Use and Drought Tolerant Plant Lists (LWUPLs)
The Low Water Use and Drought Tolerant Plant Lists (LWUPLs) is used by ADWR to regulate landscaping in medians and public rights-of-way irrigated with any amount of groundwater and in other instances as described in the Management Plans for each of the AMAs (ADWR – 2024 Phoenix AMA LWUPL).
Provisions
1. Prohibits a municipality in an initial AMA from adopting or enforcing any code, rule, ordinance, regulation that directly or indirectly requires:
a) a minimum turf requirement, with exceptions for functional turf requirements that are associated with public recreational use areas or other public areas that are used for certain actions; and
b) the installation of plants that are not included on the low-water-use and drought-tolerant plant list that is published by ADWR for the current management plan in the initial AMAs. (Sec. 1)
2. Defines subdivision by cross reference. (Sec. 1)
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SB 1523
Initials CW/TM Page 0 House Engrossed
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