HB 2661 Summary

• Establishes rural management areas in Arizona counties outside active management areas, allowing county boards of supervisors to designate groundwater basins or subbasins where groundwater withdrawal approaches or exceeds recharge rates, physical overpumping is documented, or groundwater will likely be depleted within 100 years.

• Creates rural management area councils appointed by the governor to develop groundwater management plans, identify water conservation practices, and recommend actions to balance water pumping with natural recharge, with council membership including county supervisors, city officials, agricultural representatives, and industry representatives.

• Authorizes rural management area plans to include water conservation incentives, recharge and storage programs, well location regulations, water measuring requirements, and voluntary compensated land and water conservation plans.

• Allocates $50,000,000 annually from the state lottery fund to establish the Department of Water Resources Heritage Fund, which supports implementation of rural management areas and funds voluntary water conservation plans approved by the director.

• Prohibits use of eminent domain to acquire property with heritage fund monies and protects existing irrigation and groundwater pumping rights established in the five years before designation of a rural management area.