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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
VETOED
supply and demand; assessment; groundwater
Purpose
Requires the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to include outlined data in each five-year supply and demand assessment for each groundwater basin.
Background
A groundwater basin is underground area from which groundwater drains. The basins could be separated by geologic or hydrologic boundaries. The Director of ADWR establishes the boundaries of each groundwater basin and sub-basin through a statutory process. The state’s active management areas are each individual groundwater basins (ADWR).
By December 1 of each year, the Director of ADWR must prepare and issue a water supply and demand assessment for at least 6 of the 51 groundwater basins. The Director of ADWR must ensure that a water supply and demand assessment is completed for all groundwater basins and initial active management areas at least once every five years. The Director of ADWR may contract with outside entities to perform some or all of the assessments and those outside entities shall be identified in the assessment (A.R.S. § 45-105).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Director of ADWR to include in each five-year supply and demand assessment for each groundwater basin:
a) the average depth-to-static level across the groundwater basin at the end of the assessment period, measured in feet;
b) the average net increase or decrease in the average depth-to-static level across the groundwater basin over each of the five years preceding the end of the assessment period, measured in feet;
c) the maximum depth of bedrock at the deepest point in the groundwater basin, measured in feet;
d) the average depth-to-bedrock level across the groundwater basin, measured in feet;
e) the total number of active index wells in the groundwater basin, measured in whole numbers;
f) the average distance between each active index well in the groundwater basin, measured in miles;
g) the average geographic distribution or density of active index wells in the groundwater basin, measured in number of active index wells per section of land;
h) the total volume of groundwater available in the groundwater basin to its maximum depth at the end of the assessment period, measured in acre-feet;
i) the total number of years worth of groundwater available in the groundwater basin to its maximum depth at the current annual average rate of increase or decline in the groundwater basin, measured in years;
j) the total number of active and passive stormwater and groundwater recharge projects in the groundwater basin, measured in whole numbers; and
k) the total volume of increased groundwater recharged in the groundwater basin due to active and passive stormwater and groundwater recharge projects in the groundwater basin in each of the five years preceding the end of the assessment period, measured in acre-feet.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Governor's Veto Message
The Governor indicates in her veto message that H.B. 2271 would not make a difference in solving the water policy challenges that Arizona residents and communities are facing today.
House Action Senate Action
NREW 2/20/25 DP 4-3-0-3 NR 3/18/25 DP 4-3-1
3rd Read 2/26/25 32-27-1 3rd Read 4/16/25 16-13-1
Vetoed by the Governor 4/18/25
Prepared by Senate Research
April 21, 2025
SB/SN/ci