Willcox, AZ – October 23, 2024 — The Arizona Department of Water Resources (AZDWR) has initiated proceedings to potentially designate the Willcox Groundwater Basin as an Active Management Area (AMA). The announcement came on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, when the department’s Director issued an official order to begin the designation process. A public hearing on the matter will be held on Friday, November 22, 2024, to gather public input, comments, and evidence, and present factual data on whether the designation should proceed.
The Notice of Initiation of Designation Procedures has garnered significant support, including statements from Governor Katie Hobbs, vineyard owner Mark Jorve, local farmer Ed Curry, and homeowner Steve Kisiel. Each expressed optimism about the potential for the AMA designation to secure the region’s groundwater resources.
Governor Katie Hobbs highlighted her visit to Willcox and the stories she heard from local farmers, well owners, and bipartisan elected officials about the ongoing crisis. “I saw dried up wells, fissures in the earth, and farms struggling to survive because of unchecked pumping of the precious water that Arizonans rely on,” said Hobbs. “For too long, politicians have stuck their heads in the sand and refused to take action. I know protecting our water isn’t a Democratic or a Republican issue—it’s an Arizona issue. I will continue to put politics aside and work across the aisle to deliver the solutions Arizonans are desperate for.”
Mark Jorve, owner of Zarpara Vineyard, voiced his support, emphasizing the local impact. “As a small business vineyard in the Willcox groundwater basin, we’ve experienced firsthand the alarming declines in our local water levels due to decades of unchecked, unlimited groundwater pumping,” Jorve stated. “An AMA designation would finally put us on a path to stabilizing this precious and shared resource to safeguard local growers and business owners.”
Ed Curry, a fourth-generation Arizona farmer, welcomed the ADWR’s action as a crucial step. “When a situation becomes a crisis, it demands action,” Curry said. “This announcement of a potential AMA is a new beginning for the Willcox Basin, and we must continue to work together to move forward to protect our groundwater supplies.”
Steve Kisiel, a Willcox Basin homeowner, shared his relief. “For too many years, legislative and executive inaction to protect rural groundwater in Arizona has led to severe consequences for myself and my neighbors,” Kisiel remarked. “While today’s announcement is just the first step on our journey toward a better water future, we can finally see a solution on the horizon.”
The move by ADWR follows increasing concerns about groundwater conditions in the Willcox Basin, which have declined at one of the most alarming rates in the state. Local residents have faced challenges, including dried wells and land fissures resulting from decades of excessive groundwater pumping without regulatory oversight.
The public hearing, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on November 22, 2024, at the Willcox Community Center, will offer an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to voice their perspectives. As the state moves forward in its deliberation process, community input and evidence will play a pivotal role in determining whether the Willcox Groundwater Basin should be designated as an AMA.
For further information and updates on the proceedings, visit the Arizona Department of Water Resources website.
What Is The Process To Obtain A Groundwater Right In An AMA? Is There Consideration Of Substantial Capital Investment?
If an AMA is established in the Willcox groundwater basin:
Anyone using water from a well with a maximum pump capacity of 35 gallons per minute (gpm) or less may not need a groundwater right. Please contact AMA Customer Service for more information at 602-771-8585or earp@azwater.gov.
Those using water from non-exempt wells (defined as greater than 35 gpm, OR irrigating 2 or more acres, OR using more than 10 AF for non-irrigation purposes) must submit an application for a grandfathered groundwater right within 15 months after the establishment of the AMA (A.R.S. § 45-476). NOTE: An applicant would be able to request consideration of substantial capital investment (SCI) that was made between October 23, 2019. and October 23, 2024, related to bringing land into irrigation (A.R.S. § 45-452(G)). These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
After the application deadline, ADWR would publish a registry of all applications received, and anyone in the basin would have 180 days to file any written objections (A.R.S. § 45-479).
ADWR would begin issuing grandfathered rights after the objection period ended.
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