SB 1520 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

water protection; technical correction

SB 1520 establishes procedures for designating "basin management areas" in Arizona's Gila Bend, Hualapai Valley, and Willcox groundwater basins. It allows designation either through the director's findings (e.g., land subsidence, declining water levels) or via a voter petition signed by 10% of basin residents. If approved by voters, the director issues water use permits based on historical usage: municipal/industrial users get permits for their average 5-year usage, while irrigation users get permits based on their 10-year average. The bill directly affects groundwater users in those specific basins by formalizing how their water rights are documented and managed. This is a technical correction to streamline existing groundwater management processes.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 10, 2025 Last action Mar 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Senate Engrossed Version · 8 edits · Mar 13, 2025

MODERATE

This bill transforms Arizona's groundwater management by creating a new 'Basin Management Area' system that allows for mandatory water use reductions and establishes elected local councils to oversee water conservation. It replaces the previous 'active management area' designation in the Willcox basin with this new framework and adds detailed rules for groundwater rights, flexibility accounts, and long-term reduction schedules.

Scope change

The bill expands groundwater management authority from the state director to include locally elected basin management councils with powers to mandate water reductions, and adds new provisions for groundwater rights certificates and flexibility accounts.

SCOPE

Created a new Article 3.1 establishing Basin Management Areas with mandatory water reduction schedules and elected local councils.

Replaced the Willcox active management area designation with a new basin management area designation effective December 31, 2025.

REQUIREMENT

Established flexibility accounts that track water use deviations and allow credit trading between users.

Created groundwater rights certificates with annual allocation limits and mandatory reduction schedules up to 10% over ten years.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provisions for converting agricultural groundwater rights to municipal and industrial use with 85% allocation limits.

DEFINITION

Defined new terms including 'land subsidence,' 'basin management area,' and 'flexibility account' for groundwater management.

ENFORCEMENT

Established basin management councils with retention elections and powers to adopt management plans with mandatory water reductions.

TIMELINE

Set specific timelines for mandatory reductions beginning 25 years after basin establishment and continuing every 10 years thereafter.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

DPA

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

DPA

upper

Feb 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

DPA/SE

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors