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Breaking News:  Phoenix AMA Has Abundant Groundwater and Will Still Have Abundant Groundwater in 100 Years

On June 1, 2023, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs revealed the results of a new groundwater model prepared by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (“ADWR”) that predicts the future availability of groundwater for pumping throughout most of the Phoenix Active Management Area (the “Phoenix AMA”) over the 100-year period mandated by ADWR’s Assured Water Supply […]

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Long Term Storage Credits: Securing Arizona’s Water Future

This article is Part 5 of Snell & Wilmer’s series on Arizona’s water supply and legal framework. So far in this series we have examined the most common and most-used water sources in Arizona’s diverse water portfolio:  groundwater, surface water, and Colorado River water. This article describes Arizona’s long-term storage credit (LTSC) system, which provides […]

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As Colorado River Conditions Continue to Deteriorate, the United States Warns that More Cuts will be Required and the Basin States Consider Options

by L. William Staudenmaier The Colorado River is a critical water source for more than 40 million people, vast agricultural operations, numerous industries, and a wide variety of ecological resources across the seven states that share its waters: Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.  The River is regulated by the United States […]

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Management Plan Work Group Offers Public Opportunity to Develop Water Policies

by Fred Breedlove Arizona’s 1980 Groundwater Code offers a unique opportunity for the public to get involved in shaping water policy through the process of adopting management plans for the Active Management Areas (“AMAs”).  The process is playing out now and there are still opportunities to make your voice heard. There are five AMAs, generally […]

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Pinal Active Management Area Stakeholders Address Projected Water Deficit

by L. William Staudenmaier In November 2019, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released the results of an updated groundwater model that projects a groundwater availability deficit over the next 100 years in the Pinal Active Management Area (AMA) in central Arizona.  The 100-year projection is driven by Arizona’s Assured Water Supply program, which […]

Divided Arizona Supreme Court Greenlights Major Development in Southern Arizona

by L. William Staudenmaier On August 9, 2018, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a decision with potentially important implications for future residential and commercial development in Arizona. In Silver v. Pueblo Del Sol Water Company, a divided court held that the Arizona Department of Water Resources (“ADWR” or the “Department”) properly applied a long-standing regulation implementing […]

As Lake Mead Dwindles, Arizona and Other Colorado River Basin States Continue to Plan for a Drier Future

by Bill Staudenmaier It has become a familiar refrain.  For each of the past three years, the United States Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the major reservoirs on the Colorado River, has announced a new “record low” water elevation in Lake Mead.  A quick Google search identifies articles or posts discussing this downward trend in […]