Sep 25, 2017 - East Valley near Recker and Williams Field roads. (Photo by Ellen ... water management in Arizona's deser
Governor’s O ce proposes major rewrite of water laws
By: Rachel Leingang
September 25, 2017 , 4:10 am
The Governor’s O ce is working to revamp the state’s water laws. In this photo, an irrigation ditch provides water for a farm in the East Valley near Recker and Williams Field roads. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Arizona Capitol Times) Gov. Doug Ducey’s o ce is pushing for a spate of changes aimed at altering water laws, from groundwater rules to audits of another public body. The proposed laws have already rankled some lawmakers and the Central Arizona Project, setting up what could be a major battle during the 2018 legislative session. Many of the dozen proposals focus on mundane, wonky water details, but have big implications for water management in Arizona’s desert landscape, where sound water policy has allowed the nation’s fth-largest city to grow. Ducey’s meetings where the potential new laws are being considered are not open to the public, and neither are the proposed legislative changes. However, documents obtained by the Arizona Capitol Times from multiple sources detail the proposals from the perspective of the state. The newspaper waded through the water acronyms to gure out what each proposal would do. Here are just some of the major proposed changes: Drought emergencies
The governor would need to declare an emergency due to lack of precipitation or a water shortage, the documents say. The water would have to come from an existing well and would be used for domestic purposes. Sovereign immunity
The Central Arizona Water Conservation District has claimed in a case before the 9th Circuit that it is entitled to sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, something the state argues is inappropriate. In the lawsuit brought by a former employee, CAWCD says it can’t be sued for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act because it has sovereign immunity since it is an “arm of the state.” CAWCD says the immunity would only apply in this narrow circumstance, if the court agreed with its defense. CAWCD also claimed a sovereign immunity defense in a separate case pertaining to Ak-Chin Indian Community water rights earlier this year.
The state wants legislation that says CAWCD is not entitled to sovereign immunity under the U.S. Constitution and that CAWCD is not an arm of the state. Approval of water plans
The state has alleged CAWCD attempted to sell water to a California water district during 2015 without the approval of the Department of Water Resources. CAWCD says it was considering a water storage deal with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the state was involved in the discussions at one point. But the kerfu e could lead to legislation. The state wants its water agency, the Department of Water Resources, to be the primary negotiator and approver of any water use, storage or conservation plans. The proposal would require CAWCD to get approval from the department’s director before it starts any interstate negotiating, and the state would need to sign o on any nal draft agreement. Auditor general audits
The state wants CAWCD to go through regular performance audits by the Auditor General’s O ce. The proposal would require the auditor to reach out to water stakeholders to identify areas to focus audits on each year. While CAWCD audits its nancial data routinely, the proposed audits would probe more into the organization’s work, looking at expenditures and whether the group is serving its intended purpose. As part of the audits, the state posits, the auditor could analyze why the CAWCD hired a national law rm to lobby on its behalf in Washington D.C. at a high monthly rate. Additionally, the proposal says the auditor general would be allowed to attend CAWCD’s executive sessions, which are typically closed to the public. Active management areas
The 1980 Groundwater Management Act set up active management areas in Prescott, Phoenix, Pinal County, Tucson and Santa Cruz County, where there are heavier regulations on groundwater use because of increased reliance on the groundwater supply. The 1980 legislation said that by 2025, the active management areas in Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson should achieve “safe yield,” meaning there is a long-term balance between the groundwater used each year and the amount of groundwater recharged in the aquifers. One proposal calls for legislation to make it clear the AMAs for Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson should achieve and maintain safe-yield beyond 2025. And potential legislation would create 10-year management periods for all ve AMAs, complete with management plans from the Department of Water Resources. The state also proposes creating a commission made up of groups in the ve AMAs to recommend any changes to management plans or goals to DWR. Irrigation protection areas
Currently, there is a way for the state to designate a location as an “irrigation non-expansion area” where people can’t start irrigating more than two acres of land unless it was already irrigated for the ve years before the designation began. Laws now allow the DWR director to determine if an area should receive this designation if there’s an insu cient supply of groundwater. But the director can’t look at projected future increases in groundwater withdrawals, including population or agricultural growth, when making the determination. The issue arose in 2015, when the San Simon Valley area in Cochise and Graham counties sought a designation as an irrigation non-expansion area. The department said there was not enough
evidence to designate the area as such, but there were problems in the process based on statutory requirements, the state says, leaving the state open to being sued. To x the issues that arose, the state proposes changing language to make sure it’s clear who can irrigate, who can petition for the protected status, if public hearings are required and set a one-year time period for making a determination. The proposed changes also call for amendments to allow DWR to consider evidence of future projected groundwater withdrawal when making a determination. Issue:
9TH CIRCUIT
DROUGHT
EMERGENCY
ARIZONA
AUDITOR GENERAL'S OFFICE
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT
CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT IRRIGATION
CENTRAL ARIZONA WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY
DOUG DUCEY
WATER
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Josh Zaragoza: Student of war and an adept digital strategist September 25, 2017 , 4:20 am
With as few as 100 left, Arizona turtle wins endangered species status September 22, 2017 , 4:20 am
Bookworm governor – a study in the words of leaders
Federal judge rules state not required to reveal source of execution drugs
September 22, 2017 September 21, 2017 , 4:10 am , 6:00 pm
Education panelists School facilities spar over school agency accepts choice auditors’ recommendations September 19, 2017 , 4:49 pm
September 18, 2017 , 9:11 am
Copyright © 2017 Arizona Capitol Times 1835 W. Adams Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 258-7026
bridge tower media logo
