A new push for groundwater pumping regulation in the Gila Bend area is getting plenty of pushback from Arizona farmers and ranchers.
“I am completely confounded as to why Governor Hobbs would take our work, what we have built in the interest of finding solutions, and blow it up,” said Stefanie Smallhouse, the president of the Arizona Farm Bureau.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources announced they are exploring whether to designate the Gila Bend Groundwater Basin, just southwest of Phoenix, as an active management area, or AMA.
According to state ADWR officials, groundwater levels have declined some 200 to 300 feet over the last few decades.
While the state could run conservation efforts, farmers and ranchers want to do it themselves through Senate Bill 1221.
“It allows a lot more flexibility, it allows for voluntary conservation up front and it incentives conservation,” said State Senator Sine Kerr, who represents Legislative District 25.
Right now, there are six AMAs in Arizona, including Phoenix, Tucson and Pinal County, where groundwater pumping is regulated by the state.