For the second time in two days, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has made a major announcement with regards to safeguarding the water security of the Grand Canyon State.
Accompanied by a group of bipartisan local leaders, the Governor announced the introduction of legislation called The Rural Groundwater Act, telling Arizonans that “We are here today to share our urgent and decisive vision for protecting Arizona’s water supply.”

Saying “There is no denying that we are at a critical juncture in managing our water resources and it’s imperative we take action right now to ensure we have the water we need to thrive now and into the future,” the Governor reminded viewers that “Groundwater management is one of the biggest issues that we face, especially for Rural Arizona, which has been left behind by politicians who would rather stick their head in the sand than take real action.”
With the rural landscape changing for the worse since the last major groundwater legislation in 1980, Governor Hobbs said “Our laws need to reflect the changing environment and needs for rural communities” and announced that “Together, Democrats and Republicans, farmers and business owners have spent countless hours over many months carefully crafting legislation that will finally give our rural communities a voice and protect Arizona’s precious groundwater resources.”
Saying that the Rural Groundwater Act, introduced in the Arizona Senate by Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan (SB1425) and in the State House by Representative Chris Mathis (HB2714) “Finishes the job of protecting Arizona’s water that started 45 years ago,” Ms. Hobbs relayed that “Our solution is rooted in core principles that reflect the spirit of Arizona and our rural neighbors.”

In a press release from the Governor’s office, key elements in the proposed legislation include:
Local Choice, Local Solutions – Rural communities are best positioned to understand their unique water needs and craft appropriate solutions. The RGMA gives rural Arizonans the tools and flexibility to create water management programs. Local stakeholders and water users will be appointed to a five-person RGMA Council by the Governor, with four names selected by the Senate President, House Speaker, and minority leaders in both chambers. The local Council will have decision-making authority to set conservation targets that are right for their communities.
Flexible, Effective Water Conservation – RGMA conservation programs will reduce groundwater use and improve aquifer conditions with more flexible guidelines that allow local water users and economies to thrive. Guaranteed water reductions ensure that conservation programs will yield results. RGMAs are designed to serve as an innovative alternative solution to AMAs and INAs.
Water Protection & Certainty – RGMAs end the free-for-all in rural Arizona, protecting groundwater basins from new, large entities moving in and extracting groundwater. Existing water users are given certainty with Certificates of Groundwater Use that recognize their water usage, quantify their access to groundwater, and provide certainty to help catalyze economic growth and opportunities in rural communities.
Adaptable, Customizable Water Management – Local water users appointed to an RGMA Council are empowered to adjust conservation programs every 10 years to respond to the needs of their communities and achieve their water management goals.
Funding for Water Conservation, Reuse, and Recharge – To help rural communities manage their groundwater basins, a dedicated fund is created to support voluntary water conservation, aquifer recharge, and water reuse programs in rural Arizona. The initial seed funding will be a negotiated legislative appropriation.
Groundwater Protection for Basins in Trouble – The RGMA Legislation establishes protections immediately for the severe decline areas of the Gila Bend Basin, Hualapai Valley Basin, Ranegras Plain Basin, and San Simon Sub-basin. The Willcox AMA will also be converted to a new, more flexible RGMA. Other rural groundwater basins will have a path for water protections and can be designated as subsequent RGMAs if requested by basin voters, the County Board of Supervisors or initiated by ADWR and if the basin meets the scientific criteria that show groundwater management is necessary.
The Governor concluded her initial remarks calling for the passage of this “common sense” legislation, saying “We are giving Rural Arizonans a voice, creating common sense tools to protect our water future and protecting rural economies without sacrificing the resources our children and grandchildren need to thrive…Arizonans elected all of us to work together and resolving this through legislation…But I’ve been clear about my resolve to protect our water future and the conversations I’ve had with Rural Arizonans across the state have only reaffirmed my commitment to take action again should the legislature fail to do so again…”

State Democratic Senate Leader Priya Sundareshan spoke next, echoing the Governor in saying “Groundwater management is one of the most important issues facing the state and for Rural Arizonans, I do not believe that the urgency of this legislation can be overstated.”
Sundareshan, like Hobbs, also blamed political gridlock for not addressing the problem of “Protecting our finite water resources” sooner.
Saying the days of gridlock “are over,” the Democratic Senate Leader conveyed “Today marks an important step in providing our state with long overdue bipartisan, expert-backed legislation to ensure that future generations can be confident that Arizona will continue to be a place where any person can raise a family, start a business, or put down roots free from worrying that water at any point will be sucked out from under them.”
Telling the audience that this is the beginning of the process, Sundaresan relayed:
“The mirrored proposals that Rep. Mathis and I have introduced today… are the starting point for rural groundwater negotiations moving into this session. This comprehensive plan was born out of the consensus of the diverse business and municipal interests represented on the Governor’s Water Policy Council, followed by months of stakeholder meetings, constituent engagement, and honest conversations with the agricultural community and our Republican colleagues about what our state truly needs to be successful in the long run. We can not afford to allow partisanship to get in the way again…”

House Sponsor Chris Mathis spoke next, stating:
“This legislation is a direct response to the pleas for help we’ve heard from you: the people who live, work and have raised families and built farms and businesses in small towns and rural communities across this state. Building on the work over the past two years of the Governor’s Water Policy Council, legislation introduced last session, and intensive, months-long bipartisan negotiations beginning in January of last year, this bill establishes a third, common-sense option, in addition to AMAs and INAs, that empowers local leaders to take groundwater management into their own hands. And that’s a key point – this bill is about local control…We in Arizona are focused on innovative solutions to our regions unique water supply challenges…It is so important that we set aside politics and work together to assure rural groundwater management legislation makes it across the finish line this year.”

Mohave County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter spoke after Mathis and offered:
“Water is life in Arizona, and in 1980 Republican and Democratic elected leaders like John Kyl, Bruce Babbitt, and other legislators came together despite their differences to pass the Arizona Groundwater Management Act. While not perfect, it was a significant achievement that provided a framework for Arizona’s urbanized areas to responsibly manage their groundwater resources, protect private property values, and sustain massive economic development and population growth. Forty-five years after passage of the Groundwater Act, over one million Arizonans living in the 80% of our state still classified as rural are still left vulnerable. I thank Governor Hobbs and legislators on both sides of the aisle for their commitment to finally solving the other half of Arizona’s groundwater equation by passing a bipartisan, negotiated rural framework tool that protects our rural private property values, secures our rural residences and small businesses, and keeps Arizona’s small cities and towns amazing and strong for generations to come.”

Wilcox Mayor Greg Hancock relayed remarks after Lingenfelter, saying:
“In our community, water touches every aspect of life. It supports our burgeoning wine industry, a vital and growing part of our economy, and sustains the businesses, farmers and ranchers who are the backbone of our region. Unfortunately, the Willcox Basin Aquifer has faced severe strain, resulting in homeowners wells going dry, land subsidence and a race to the bottom to deepen wells. These challenges have made it clear that we need meaningful action to secure our water future. I want to thank Governor Hobbs for her leadership in prioritizing rural Arizona’s water resources. The proposed Rural Groundwater Management Act (RGMA) offers a strong framework and provides a foundation to build upon, allowing us to reach a compromise and move forward with future water legislation, hopefully in 2025. Water is not a partisan issue—it’s a community issue. I urge all legislators to work collaboratively with Governor Hobbs to find a solution.”
Prescott Mayor Phil Goode was the last local leader to make opening remarks, conveying:
“Make no mistake, I am a conservative, active Republican. But this issue is not a partisan issue. Last time I checked, there is no Democratic water and Republican water, there’s water for our state. And it’s important that our rural communities have the opportunity to control their future. We have to have both sides of the aisle working together to do this. I want to thank the Governor for initiating this Rural Groundwater Management Act and I look forward to working with the legislature to get this across the finish line and getting this enacted this legislative session.”
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Will the Farm Bureau and Wall Street investors use their bought and paid for lackies to kill this common sense bill? At least Travis got his picture in the paper with the Gov.