HB 2477 Summary

• Amends Arizona water law statutes (sections 37-321.01, 45-141, 45-151, 45-153, 45-156, 45-162, 45-164, 45-187, 45-188, 45-189, 45-251, 45-256, 45-257, and 45-261) and repeals section 45-262 relating to water rights appropriation and adjudication.

• Establishes that water rights appropriated on federal lands are held by the person effecting beneficial use, and allows water sources on federal lands to be beneficially used on any land regardless of federal ownership.

• Provides that water appropriators are entitled to beneficially use water on less than all appurtenant land without abandonment or forfeiture, and protects pre-1919 water rights from forfeiture by nonuse.

• Expands the definition of "sufficient cause" for nonuse of water rights to include infrastructure maintenance, conservation agreements, and forbearance agreements between appropriators within the same river system.

• Clarifies that state law applies to all water rights adjudications and that the public trust doctrine is not an element of water rights determination under Arizona law.