ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff

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HB 2758: McMullen Valley; eligible entities; groundwater

Sponsor: Representative Griffin, LD 19

Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Overview

Outlines the eligible entities, locations and actions regarding transportation of groundwater withdrawn from the McMullen Valley groundwater basin.

History

Unless specifically authorized, groundwater that is withdrawn in a basin or sub-basin located outside an initial active management area (AMA) may not be transported to an initial AMA. Current law identifies four groundwater basins and sub-basins from which groundwater can be withdrawn and transported to an initial AMA. Those basins are:

1) McMullen Valley;

2) Butler Valley;

3) Harquahala INA;

4) San Pedro; and

5) Big Chino sub-basin of the Verde River groundwater basin.

Transportation of groundwater from these basins is subject to limitations as outlined in statute (A.R.S. § 45-551).

The McMullen Valley groundwater basin is approximately 720 square miles predominately located in La Paz County with portions of the basin in Maricopa and Yavapai Counties. It is bounded by the Harcuvar Mountains to the North, Harquahala and Vulture Mountains to the South and the Little Harquahala and Granite Wash Mountains to the West (ADWR).

Provisions

1. Repeals statute relating to the transportation of groundwater withdrawn in McMullen Valley basin to an AMA. (Sec. 1)

2. Allows an eligible entity to withdraw groundwater from the McMullen Valley basin for transportation to an eligible location for prescribed purposes if:

a. the groundwater is withdrawn:

i. from a depth to 1,200 feet at the site or sites of the proposed withdrawals; and

ii. at a rate that, when added to the existing rate of withdrawals in the area, does not cause the groundwater table at the site to decline more than an average of 10 feet per year during the 100 year evaluation period;

b. the amount is either:

i. per acre of the historically irrigated acres not to exceed prescribed limits; or

ii. established by the Director under certain conditions;

c. all costs associated with withdrawing, transporting and delivering groundwater are collected from customers by a public service corporation;

d. the eligible entity has demonstrated compliance with prescribed hydrological study criteria;

e. the eligible entity has installed approved water measuring devices or other similarly reliable methods to determine volume of withdrawn groundwater; and

f. within 30 days of withdrawal the eligible entity submits a monthly report to ADWR containing certain information. (Sec. 2)

3. Prescribes eligible entities to transport groundwater away from the McMullen Valley Groundwater basin. (Sec. 2)

4. Requires the Director to adopt rules. (Sec. 2)

5. Outlines the locations eligible to receive groundwater transported away from the McMullen Valley groundwater basin. (Sec. 2)

6. Requires any local use of groundwater by an eligible entity that sells or leases groundwater to count toward the entity's maximum per acre withdrawal limit.
(Sec. 2)

7. Prescribes annual reporting requirements of ADWR. (Sec. 2)

8. Clarifies a person is not prohibited from storing and recovering water that is not groundwater and that the stored groundwater does not count toward withdrawal limits. (Sec. 2)

9. Defines historically irrigated acres. (Sec. 2)

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13. Initials CW                      HB 2758

14. 1/22/2026  Page 0 Natural Resources, Energy & Water

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