HB2647 is a bill that proposes amendments to Arizona's groundwater management laws. The bill allows landowners with irrigation grandfathered rights within an Active Management Area (AMA) to permanently retire their land from irrigation and retain a physical availability credit for future non-irrigation use. It sets out conditions for using this credit to withdraw groundwater for non-irrigation purposes, including requirements that the land has been actively farmed in one of the last five years, the non-irrigation use remains appurtenant to the original irrigation acres, and the water is delivered by a municipal provider within an AMA.

The bill also specifies how to calculate the maximum amount of groundwater that can be withdrawn annually per acre for non-irrigation use and requires the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to include this calculated amount when determining the existence of an assured water supply. Additionally, the bill outlines the governance of administrative proceedings and judicial review of the Director's final decisions and defines "municipal provider." It also makes technical and conforming changes to existing statutes and becomes effective on the general effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 45-465.05, 45-576, 45-465, 45-114, 45-561
House Engrossed Version: 45-465.05, 45-576, 45-465, 45-114, 45-561