Arizona groundwater talks stall, leaving rural infrastructure without oversight
Efforts to establish new protections for groundwater in rural Arizona have hit a wall, with state leaders unable to reach consensus before the end of the legislative session, according to the Associated Press (AP). The lack of progress leaves critical underground water resources unregulated in vast parts of the state, even as some wells run dry.
Gov. Katie Hobbs began the year calling for new groundwater management zones in less populated areas, aiming to safeguard aquifers in regions beyond the reach of existing rules. Despite early bipartisan support, talks have since unraveled over disagreements around pumping limits and who should govern local oversight bodies.
According to AP, one proposal from state water officials to cut back pumping in the Willcox Basin raised alarm among GOP lawmakers and agricultural groups, who argue the suggested reductions would be impossible to meet without harming local economies. The backlash helped derail negotiations in early April, and lawmakers haven’t returned to the table since.
The divide centers on how deeply groundwater pumping should be curtailed—and who gets to decide. While Democrats push for tighter restrictions and stronger state oversight, Republicans favor looser limits and more local control.
Meanwhile, residents in parts of La Paz and Cochise counties continue to feel the effects of dwindling underground supplies. Some, like Wenden RV park owner Rob McDermott, have had to borrow six figures to drill deeper wells after existing ones went dry—costs that could’ve gone toward infrastructure upgrades instead.
Arizona’s current framework for groundwater regulation, enacted in 1980, focuses mainly on cities like Phoenix and Tucson. Critics say the model doesn’t translate to rural areas, where agriculture drives the economy and resources for compliance are limited.
With the legislative clock ticking, the governor has left the door open to a special session if a last-minute breakthrough is within reach. But so far, there’s little sign of movement.
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