Reform water laws to include the environment

Arizona officials are proud of their 1980 state water policy. The Arizona Groundwater Management Act (GMA), after many earlier attempts, was approved only after the federal government threatened to withhold funding for the Central Arizona Project (CAP) unless Arizona controlled groundwater pumping. Without the CAP, California would have claimed “our” Colorado River water and restricted future economic development in Arizona.

The environment wasn’t at the negotiating table then, so our rivers were on the menu. The GMA managed groundwater only in limited areas and sacrificed some rivers. We have now seriously degraded five of Arizona’s major perennial rivers: the Colorado, Gila, Salt, Santa Cruz, and San Pedro. Additionally, future perennial flow in the upper Verde River is deeply threatened.

Researchers predicted that by 2050, groundwater demand in seven additional river basins will exceed base flow. Twenty-one of Arizona’s original 33 native fish species now have status under the Endangered Species Act, and three are extinct. Reduced river flows and deterioration of riparian habitats have detrimental effects on hunting, fishing, boating, birding, and other water-based recreational activities that significantly contribute to Arizona tourism – a growing $20.9 billion industry bringing new revenue into Arizona.

To date, Arizona water resource management has failed to bring either surface or ground water to a sustainable condition. After 43 years, the GMA has failed to achieve key

goals in the Active Management Areas covering approximately 13% of the state. The GMA does not recognize environmental water rights, has weak regulatory authorities, and is administratively underfunded. The remainder of the state not covered by the GMA now confronts significant threats to groundwater and to environmental water resources. Environmental water has few legal rights statewide.

Clearly, Arizona water policy is due for an overhaul – pride has become an embarrassment. The Sustainable Water Network has published “A Conservation Vision of Arizona’s Water Future,” which calls for modernizing our water laws and protecting environmental water.

In 2023, Gov. Katie Hobbs convened a new Governor’s Water Policy Council that prepared some concepts for legislative consideration. Two proposals, “Build to Rent” and “Wildcat Development” are sensible. The “Rural Groundwater Measuring and Reporting” proposal should require measuring and reporting. The “Alternative Pathway to Designation” proposal facilitates continued unsustainable growth, so we oppose […]

Full article: azcapitoltimes.com