The proposed bill seeks to amend section 45-576 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, specifically updating the criteria for determining the physical availability of unreplenished groundwater for applicants. Under the current law, the department assesses the volume of unreplenished groundwater based on existing groundwater models. The bill introduces new language that clarifies the conditions under which the department will find that the volume of unreplenished groundwater is physically available, specifically focusing on the annual volume at the point of withdrawal after one hundred years of pumping.

The bill retains the existing criteria for assessing groundwater availability but adds specificity regarding the depth to bedrock and establishes distinct thresholds for different active management areas. The current law's references to the depth to bedrock and specific depths for the Pinal and Phoenix active management areas remain unchanged, while the new language emphasizes the need for the annual volume of unreplenished groundwater to be equal to or less than these specified depths.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 45-576