Arizona Dems, GOP Officials Push for Rural Groundwater Protection Plan

Efforts to safeguard Arizona’s rural groundwater are gaining momentum as Democrats and some Republican officials urge their GOP colleagues to support legislative measures aimed at conservation.

Democratic lawmakers have introduced bills in both chambers of the state Legislature to establish Rural Groundwater Management Areas (RGMAs) in specific basins, which would be governed by conservation measures.

“Politicians have not taken serious action in rural Arizona since the Groundwater Management Act passed in 1980. Our world is much different today than it was then, and our laws need to reflect the changing environment and needs of rural communities,” Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs emphasized during a recent address.

The proposed legislation aims to create RGMAs in the Gila Bend, Hualapai Valley, Ranegras Plain, and San Simon basins if enacted.

Both Democrats and rural Republicans in the state believe that this initiative could secure bipartisan backing, despite previous attempts at similar legislation ending in partisan deadlock last year.

The governance of RGMAs would fall to five-member councils, with four members residing in the area. The governor would appoint one member directly and select the remaining four from nominees provided by legislative leaders.

Every decade, these councils would have the authority to revise conservation programs based on their outcomes.

The bill also mandates periodic reviews by the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources to assess unprotected groundwater basins for potential RGMA designation.

In a show of unity at a Thursday press conference, Republican leaders from Kingman, Willcox, and several counties joined Democrats in advocating for the plan.

Prescott Mayor Phil Goode stated, “Make no mistake, I am a conservative, active Republican, but this issue is not a partisan issue. Last time I checked, there wasn’t Democratic water and Republican water. There’s water for our state.”

To progress through the state Legislature, the bill requires Republican backing, especially from the House and Senate natural resources committees chaired by Republicans who have previously blocked similar proposals.

If GOP support falters, Gov. Hobbs cautioned that she might designate the basins as Active Management Areas (AMAs), a move opposed by Republicans but allowed under her authority. AMAs are generally unsuitable for rural areas, which is why RGMAs are preferred by legislators.

Gov. Hobbs, acknowledging the limitations of AMAs for rural regions like Willcox, affirmed her willingness to pursue this option if necessary. “As governor, I have taken more action to protect our water than has happened in the decades since the Groundwater Management Act, because it is imperative that we do so. And I’m not going to sit by and let out of state corporations exploit our resources and we’re going to take action,” Hobbs declared.

The Democratic initiative would also convert the Willcox AMA into an RGMA, an adjustment likely to appeal to Republicans who previously criticized Hobbs for overreaching with the AMA designation.

Governor Hobbs’ strategy of potentially increasing AMAs could influence Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), chair of the House natural resources committee, to reconsider her stance.

Mohave County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter noted Griffin’s influence on the issue, but suggested that reversing the Willcox AMA could be a compromise she might support. “I don’t think Rep. Griffin wants to see a bunch of new AMAs popping up in rural,” Lingenfelter commented.

Governor Hobbs recently had a meeting with Griffin, describing it as positive.

Disagreements over conservation caps were a major hurdle between Republicans and Democrats in past discussions, with Republicans favoring caps and Democrats arguing for stronger groundwater protections.

Republican members of the House and Senate natural resources committees did not comment on the current proposal. Senate Republican Communications Director Kim Quintero stated the bill had not been read yet by Thursday afternoon, as it was only recently introduced.