File photo by Luke Runyon/KUNC: Water from the Central Arizona Project spills into rural Pinal County.

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PHOENIX – Republican lawmakers are considering solutions to Arizona’s water future on a new review committee founded by House Speaker Ben Thoma and Senate Speaker Warren Petersen.

The Joint Legislative Task Force on Water Security met for the first time on Tuesday to outline goals for the coming months and hear preliminary testimony on the most pressing issues facing Arizona’s water supply. The Commission’s objectives include addressing growth and economic development while promoting water conservation, recharge and reuse in urban and rural areas and everywhere in between.

To better understand Arizona’s current water outlook and the level of investment Arizona has made and will make, the Commission sought the Salt River Project (SRP) and Water Infrastructure Finance. I heard a presentation from the bureau (WIFA). A new water infrastructure will be put in place in the next few years.

Each year, SRP supplies approximately 800,000 acre-feet of raw water to agricultural, municipal and urban customers in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Charlie Estelle is a hydrologist who has worked at SRP for the past 40 years. As Water Director, he gave a presentation on the status of his SRP’s 13,000-square-mile watershed that supplies seven reservoirs along the Salt and Verde Rivers.

“The valley has a diverse water supply, unlike other communities in the southwest, including surface water in lakes and rivers managed by the SRP,” Esther said. . “This year, the SRP surpassed the entire basin’s snowfall since 1973 and recorded the highest runoff since 2005. That amount filled the reservoirs to capacity and added an additional 700,000 acre-feet to the Salt and Gila Rivers. It was enough to release into

“SRP has over time managed a system that intentionally stores water in rainy years to provide reliable water to customers in dry years,” Esther added. “SRP has a 120-year history of meeting drought challenges and giving businesses and residents confidence in our water resources now and in the future. We are also working on important projects such as the expansion of the Bartlett Dam to create new renewable supplies to meet water challenges for non-SRP communities.At the same time, we are working on the Central Arizona Project. We are pursuing new interconnections with the system, which will add flexibility and efficiency to both systems, maximizing the use of existing delivery infrastructure, allowing non-SRP entities to adapt to their needs. It provides new opportunities to move water with

As part of a more than $1 billion effort to secure the long-term future of Arizona’s water, WIFA has been given an expanded role in overseeing the realization of these projects. WIFA Deputy Director Chelsea McGuire presented on the funding and options available to residents and communities to help improve water supplies and strengthen the water resources upon which Arizona’s communities and economies depend. .

According to WIFA, up to $200 million will be provided to cities, towns and counties, as well as irrigation districts, natural resource conservation districts and domestic water improvement districts through the Water Conservation Grant Fund to strengthen water conservation throughout Arizona. will be This provides up to $3 million per program and up to $250,000 per project.

In addition, rural cities, towns, and counties located outside of the actively managed areas of Phoenix, Pinal, and Tucson are encouraged to develop projects to facilitate rural stormwater and groundwater replenishment, collection, reclamation, and recharge. up to $190 million available. of the state, thanks to the Water Development Fund. Applicants can receive up to $3 million in loans per project or up to $2 million in grants per project.

“WIFA was the right place to deposit these funds,” McGuire said. “Here we are; we are ready. Securing the future of water requires a holistic approach.The historic WIFA bill was that holistic approach.The initial application period for the Water Conservation Grants Fund closed on Friday. We anticipate a significant number of applications and encourage Arizona communities to submit their applications as soon as possible.”

“We are doing great work to provide water solutions for Arizona and rural communities,” said Rep. Gail Griffin, co-chair of the committee. “WIFA is making historic investments to help save water and put more water back into the ground, especially in rural areas of the state. should encourage eligible entities to take advantage of these tools.”

Senator Sine Carr, co-chair of the committee, said, “If the governor signs a bill that I am working on in Congress now, more organizations will be able to access WIFA conservation funds.” rice field. “We need a solution that does all of the above for this critical problem that affects all Arizona citizens. It will be very important as we continue to meet as a Commission to address the water challenges that have arisen.”