PHOENIX – In a pivotal step towards managing groundwater resources, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and the state’s Department of Water Resources are addressing the rapid depletion of groundwater in the rural southeast region of the state, primarily due to agricultural practices.
On Wednesday, the state agency announced a public hearing scheduled for November 22, where they will present relevant data and gather public input regarding the potential designation of an “active management area” for the Willcox Groundwater Basin, located in Cochise and Graham counties.
During the deliberation period, new agricultural activities in the basin will be prohibited as the department evaluates the need for a management area southeast of Tucson. This initiative aims to establish objectives that will promote the sustainability of the basin and its underground water reservoirs.
Excessive groundwater pumping poses risks such as well depletion and land subsidence, leading to damages to roads and infrastructure. A report from the Department of Water Resources highlighted alarming statistics, indicating that 26 monitored wells in the basin experienced water level drops ranging from 10 feet (3 meters) to nearly 142 feet (43 meters) within the period from 2000 to 2020.
Historically, agricultural interests in Arizona have opposed regulations on groundwater extraction, arguing that such measures can lack the necessary flexibility to adapt to changing needs. Nevertheless, both Hobbs and the water resources agency face mounting pressure from local residents to take decisive action in addressing the concerning issue of groundwater depletion.
Should the establishment of the Willcox Groundwater Basin management area move forward, it would mark the first creation of such an area through executive order since Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act was enacted in 1980. Other designated management areas have typically been established through legislative processes. Urban regions like Phoenix and Tucson have been under groundwater management for an extended period.
The Douglas Basin management area, situated south of Willcox, became the inaugural area created through a citizen-driven petition and election process in 2022. Conversely, a citizen initiative aimed at forming a management area in the Willcox Basin was decisively rejected by voters in November 2022.