Tucson Standard

The Gila Bend Groundwater Basin is in a critical state of decline, and this declaration aims to safeguard it and facilitate its restoration.

In an article from the Arizona House Democrats, Chris Mathis commends Governor Hobbs for her proactive stance. He says, "I commend Governor Hobbs for following through on her promise to take action in the face of continued refusal by our Republican colleagues to consider any meaningful solutions to address the lack of protections for rural groundwater in most of the state. This should be a wake-up call for the Legislature to finally pass a bill that gives localities the tools they need to manage their groundwater supplies for all who rely on them."

In another article from the Arizona House Democrats, Sundareshan stresses the urgency of protecting Arizona's groundwater. He says, "Protecting Arizona’s groundwater must be larger than partisan politics. I applaud this action taken by ADWR but must stress that we need to move faster and more comprehensively to protect the long-term health of our rural aquifers and ensure our children and grandchildren have water for the next 100 years. The current reality in Arizona is that if we fail to update the Groundwater Management Act soon, the long-term health of our water basins may never recover. The days of working in silos on water policy are over; it’s time to have honest and transparent negotiations amongst all interested stakeholders."

According to KJZZ, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) is considering creating a new groundwater management area - a first since 1980. This proposed Active Management Area (AMA) in Gila Bend would mark the first AMA establishment following the enactment of the Groundwater Management Act over forty years ago. In recent years, groundwater levels in Gila Bend basin have markedly decreased. From 2000 to 2020, there was an annual median rate change of negative three feet with every individual well registering a decline. The goal of establishing an AMA in Gila Bend is to regulate groundwater extraction with conservation in mind.

A Tucson article reveals that Arizona is considering implementing regulations to manage groundwater extraction in the Gila Bend region, which is witnessing drastic declines in water levels. The ADWR will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, January 30 in Phoenix to initiate discussions about potentially creating a state-operated active management area for supervising groundwater pumping in the Gila Bend Basin. If established, this would be the seventh such area in the state. However, before this can happen, the department must formally propose its creation and conduct public hearings. The announcement of this meeting comes amidst escalating tensions and disputes over groundwater regulation statewide, mirroring concerns about decreasing groundwater levels, especially in rural areas.