More than half of the Arizona legislature includes representatives from across Arizona for the first time. And with new governors taking office this year, at least four counties are now trying to educate their legislators and pass laws to protect local groundwater supplies.
The Mojave County Board of Supervisors is pleased to participate in a joint effort with Coconino, La Paz, and Yavapai Counties to draw attention to legislation introduced during this legislative session that protects Arizona’s most precious natural resources. It passed unanimously on Monday.
Among these bills is SB 1306, introduced by Senator Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu City) and co-sponsored by Havasu Rep. Leo Biasiucci. The measure would allocate as much as $50 million annually from state lottery funds to the new Water Resources Authority’s Local Groundwater Management Fund. The funds are used for administration, technical support, and implementation of water conservation or enhancement efforts by the state’s rural communities.
Groundwater supplies could become more valuable in the near future, as Arizona and other Lower Colorado states could face major water cuts proposed by the U.S. Department of the Interior this month. But records show that state legislators have not addressed Borelli’s bill since it was introduced in late January.
Mojave County officials plan to prepare a resolution on the need for groundwater laws this week, which will eventually be sent to Gov. Hobbs and the Arizona legislature, along with similar resolutions for Coconino, La Paz and Yavapai counties. .
“All of these counties will demand that the governor and the Arizona Legislature get it done and amend the Arizona Groundwater Code to include laws or policies regarding groundwater management areas,” Ringenfelter said at a board meeting Monday. I plan to submit a resolution that is nearly identical: “Something is better than nothing. It’s the Wild West in rural Arizona. ”
According to Lingenfelters, this year’s four county resolutions could go a long way in highlighting the importance of groundwater protection in rural Arizona.
“Among these four counties, we represent Arizona’s more than 625,000 rural residents who deserve water certainty and safety just as much as they do in the city,” said Lingenfelter. .
