PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Water Resources has announced the urgent need to regulate groundwater in the state’s rural southeast region. This initiative includes establishing a controlled management area aimed at preventing the rapid depletion of water resources due to agricultural practices. Director Tom Buschatzke highlighted that after analyzing hydrologic conditions in the Willcox basin, it has become necessary to take appropriate actions to protect groundwater supplies for future generations.
Under existing state legislation, Buschatzke, in his capacity as director, can designate what is referred to as an “active management area” for the Willcox Groundwater Basin, which encompasses parts of Cochise and Graham counties in Arizona. He emphasized his staff’s findings during public hearings in Willcox, asserting that the hydrologic conditions met the legal criteria required for designation.
This designation was formalized on Thursday following public hearings, as reported by the water agency. During this evaluation period, the basin was temporarily closed to new agricultural endeavors, which allowed the agency to deliberate on creating a management area southeast of Tucson. This move empowers the department to set objectives aimed at achieving stability for both the basin and its aquifers.
Amid growing concerns from the local populace regarding groundwater depletion, Governor Katie Hobbs expressed her support for the new designation. She noted, “I’ve heard from families, farmers, and businesses who have experienced the devastating impacts of unchecked pumping by unaccountable, big corporations. Their wells are running dry, their homes are damaged by fissures in the earth, and their farms are barely able to get by.”
Excessive groundwater pumping can lead to well depletion and structural damage to land, roads, and other properties. According to a report from the department, 26 monitored wells in the basin saw declines ranging from 10 feet (3 meters) to nearly 142 feet (43 meters) between 2000 and 2020.
Historically, agricultural interests in Arizona have resisted groundwater pumping regulations, arguing that such regulations are often too rigid. The Willcox Groundwater Basin management area is notable as the first to be formed through executive action since the enactment of Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act in 1980. Other management areas across the state have typically been established through similar legislative measures. Urban centers like Phoenix and Tucson have been under groundwater management for an extended period.
