ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House: NREW DPA 6-4-0-0

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

HB 2934: Harquahala; groundwater transportation fee

Sponsor: Representative Biasiucci, LD 30

Caucus & COW

Overview

Requires a person transporting groundwater from the Harquahala irrigation non-expansion area (INA) to an initial active management area (AMA) to pay the groundwater transportation fee to a specified county.

History

Unless specifically authorized, groundwater that is withdrawn in a basin or sub-basin located outside an initial AMA may not be transported to an initial AMA. Current law identifies four groundwater basins and sub-basins from which groundwater can be withdrawn and transported to an initial AMA.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 the: 1) McMullen Valley; 2) Butler Valley; 3) Harquahala INA; and 4) 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 Harquahala INA was created in 1981 and exists in Maricopa and La Paz counties (Arizona Department of Water Resources).

Provisions

1.   Requires a person transporting, directly or indirectly, groundwater from any portion of the Harquahala INA to an initial AMA to pay the groundwater transportation fee to a county containing a portion of the Harquahala INA that does not contain any portion of an initial AMA. (Sec. 1)

2.   Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)

Amendments

Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water

1.   Requires a person transporting, directly or indirectly, groundwater from any portion of the McMullen groundwater basin to an initial AMA to pay the groundwater transportation fee to a county containing a portion of the McMullen groundwater basin that does not contain any portion of an initial AMA. (Sec. 1)

2.   Stipulates that if a county has formed an authority, the county must make 25% of any transportation fees paid to the county available to the authority. (Sec. 1)

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6.   Initials CW/RS                HB 2934

7.   2/13/2026  Page 0 Caucus & COW

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