If enacted, this bill would amend current statutes by adding new requirements for the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) regarding groundwater management in active management areas (AMAs). Specifically, the bill mandates that the Director adopt rules to update groundwater modeling to incorporate any natural, incidental, or artificial stormwater recharge resulting from the development of new or existing infrastructure. Additionally, the Director would be required to assume that this stormwater recharge will offset a portion of future groundwater use.

The bill also stipulates that the groundwater model for AMAs must be updated annually to reflect these changes in stormwater recharge. This represents a significant shift in how groundwater management is approached, emphasizing the integration of stormwater recharge into the overall assessment of groundwater resources. The current law does not include these specific provisions for stormwater recharge, making this bill a notable update to existing groundwater management practices.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 45-581
House Engrossed Version: 45-581