Protect Arizona's Groundwater: Urge your state legislator to vote NO on House Bill 2111

In Arizona, groundwater use outside of five specific geographies, called Active Management Areas (AMAs), is not regulated under the Groundwater Management Act. However, counties and municipalities outside of AMAs can voluntarily sign up for more rigorous groundwater protections, opting in to what are called the adequate water supply rules. To protect home buyers and business owners, Cochise and Yuma Counties, as well as the Towns of Clarkdale and Patagonia, opted in to require that new development prove it has enough water for the next 100 years.

House Bill 2111, a strike everything amendment on a bill previously concerning carbon dioxide emissions, proposes to allow counties that have previously opted in to the adequate water supply rules to opt out with a unanimous vote. The roll back of these consumer protections would threaten Arizona's groundwater supplies, put places like the San Pedro River at risk, and could have negative implications for sound water management statewide. The bill passed out of the House Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee last night (chaired by realtor Gail Griffin.)

As this bill moves to the House Floor for a potential vote, please let your representatives know that this is not the time to retreat from forward-looking policy such as the adequate water supply rules. Especially in an era of water scarcity, we should reject attempts to weaken the Groundwater Management Act.

- Audubon Arizona
az.audubon.org

More information by Audubon:

Keeping the Focus on Water

10 Things You Should Know About Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act

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