PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Water Resources said there’s enough evidence to place restrictions on how water is used in the Willcox Basin.
On Friday, ADWR Director Tom Buschgatzke issued a statement that the Willcox Groundwater Basin meets the criteria for designation as an Active Management Area.
The criteria includes:
- Active management practices are necessary to preserve the existing supply of groundwater — the area’s only dependable water source — for future needs; and
- Land subsidence or fissuring is endangering property or potential groundwater storage capacity.
It’s the seventh designation of an active management area in Arizona, and the first to be issued by order of the ADWR director; the others came via voters, including designation of the Douglas AMA in 2022.
An AMA regulates the access and withdrawal of groundwater, as well as sets conservation measures and monitors impact from wells.
In addition to Willcox, the basin includes Pearce, Sunsites and Dragoon in Cochise County; and Bonita and Sunset in Graham County.
In 2022, voters in the Willcox and Bonita areas voted against declaration of an AMA for the Willcox Basin by an almost two-to-one margin, with 2,443 votes against the AMA and 1,461 in favor.
