The proposed bill would significantly update current statutes regarding the transportation of groundwater from the McMullen Valley groundwater basin. It would repeal the statute relating to the transportation of groundwater withdrawn in McMullen Valley basin to an AMA and allow an eligible entity to withdraw groundwater from the McMullen Valley basin for transportation to an eligible location for prescribed purposes, establishing specific criteria for withdrawal, including a maximum depth of 1,200 feet and a rate that does not exceed a 10-foot decline in the groundwater table per year over a century. The bill would also prescribe eligible entities to transport groundwater away from the McMullen Valley Groundwater basin and require the Director to adopt rules for this process. Furthermore, the bill would clarify that local use of groundwater by an eligible entity that sells or leases groundwater counts toward the entity's maximum per acre withdrawal limit and define "historically irrigated acres". It would increase the limit of the total annual volume of groundwater available for transportation to La Paz County from 10% to 50%, thereby enhancing groundwater management in the area. The new provisions would also mandate annual reporting by the department on groundwater withdrawals and clarify that the storage and recovery of non-groundwater water is exempt from the same withdrawal limits.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 45-552