 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
water banking; annual report; posting
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Water Banking Authority Commission (Commission) to post a copy of its annual report on the Commission's website.
Background
The Legislature finds that water banking is complimentary and compatible with existing management efforts and establishes the Arizona Water Banking Authority (AWBA), which must: 1) administer the Arizona Water Banking Fund (Fund); 2) coordinate the storage of water and distribution and extinguishment of long-term storage credits with the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources in accordance with Arizona water banking and the water management objectives set by the Groundwater Code; 3) determine on an annual basis, the quantity of Colorado River water, surface water other than Colorado River water and effluent to be stored by the AWBA and where that storage will occur; and 4) carry out other statutorily prescribed duties. The purposes, powers and duties of the AWBA must be executed by the Commission (A.R.S. §§ 45-2401; 45-2421 and 45-2423).
The Commission must prepare and submit an annual report containing a full and complete account of its transactions and proceedings for the preceding calendar year to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives by July 1 of each year. The report must include: 1) an accounting of all monies expended from the Fund; 2) an accounting of all monies in the Fund remaining available to the AWBA; 3) the amount of water stored by the AWBA; 4) the number of long-term storage credits distributed or extinguished by the AWBA; 5) the purposes for which long-term storage credits were distributed or extinguished by the AWBA; 6) a description of the water banking services and interstate water banking to be undertaken by the AWBA during the following 10-year period and a projection of the capacity of the AWBA during that period to undertake those activities in addition to storing Colorado River water brought into Arizona through the Central Arizona Project for statutorily prescribed purposes; and 7) any other matter determined by the AWBA to be relevant to the policy and purpose of Arizona water banking (A.R.S. § 45-2426).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Commission to post a copy of its annual report on the Commission's website.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 12, 2026
SB/SF/hk