PHOENIX — A pair of bills that will be introduced in the next Arizona Legislative session is drawing the ire of a Gila Valley representative.
Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, who represents Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties, is questioning the efficacy of House Bill 2731 and Senate Bill 1306, which, if passed and signed into law by the governor, would create local groundwater stewardship areas.
Under the bills, a local groundwater stewardship area council would be created to review proposed withdrawing of groundwater for projects such as new subdivisions, with the council’s recommendations for approval or denial being sent to the county Board of Supervisors for final action.
Developers and anyone seeking to drill new wells would need to be able to prove there is an adequate supply of water, and that the new draw would not negatively impact the water resources and access of existing users, before being permitted to move forward.
Griffin said the bills seek “radical social and economic transformation in rural Arizona.”
“This year, some county supervisors, and radical environmental groups (namely, the Environmental Defense Fund headquartered in New York) have been pushing state lawmakers to adopt legislation that would allow as few as two supervisors in some counties (a simple majority) to adopt California-style groundwater management districts, called ‘Local Groundwater Stewardship Areas.’ At over 40 pages long, it may not be obvious how the proposed Environmental Defense Fund legislation could be used to achieve radical social and economic transformation in rural Arizona. I have concerns with the proposed legislation. Please see the attached report and read the bill for yourself,” Griffin said in a prepared statement.
The second session of the 56th State Legislature will convene Jan. 8, 2024.
