Home > Legislative Tracker > county insurance; technical correction (McClure) S/E Upper San Pedro Water District

Water--Stream Flow:
county insurance; technical correction (McClure) S/E Upper San Pedro Water District

Our Position: oppose
Bill Number: HB2019
Sponsor: McClure
Legislative Session: 2007 Legislative Session

HB2019 county insurance; technical correction (McClure) S/E Upper San Pedro Water District and its companion in the House SB1001 general election ballots; technical correction (Bee) S/E: Upper San Pedro Water District, both establish a district for a portion of the upper San Pedro groundwater basin.  Neither strike-everything amendment actually mentions the San Pedro River, however, nor do they include specific language to protect the river flows.  Even the findings do not mention the importance of keeping the San Pedro flowing.

The goal of the district in the strike-everything on SB1001 is to achieve the goal specified in the 2005 report to congress titled "Water Management of the Regional Aquifer in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Arizona" from the United States Department of the Interior in cooperation with the Upper San Pedro Partnership.  While the report makes it clear that the goal is sustainable yield, the definition of sustainable yield is unclear. 

The goal established in the strike-everything on HB2019 is “to implement water augmentation and conservation in a manner to maintain and restore the regional aquifer.”

Status

Action Needed

More information

Contact

Background

PROTECT THE SAN PEDRO RIVER

AND FORT HUACHUCA

Arizona water law does not currently provide adequate protection for riparian areas along our rivers and streams.  Riparian areas are some of our most threatened and important ecosystems in our arid state.  Water diversions and activities related to growth and development present ongoing threats to stream flows and water quality.

Existing and proposed groundwater pumping threatens the San Pedro River, the Verde River and the seeps and springs in the Grand Canyon, among other areas.  Groundwater pumping has already significantly depleted rivers in agricultural zones – see large sections of the Santa Cruz and the Salt Rivers.

  Some estimates indicate that less than 10 percent of Arizona's original riparian acreage remains intact.  We can argue over the number, but there is no argument that substantial portions of Arizona's riparian habitat have been degraded significantly.  These areas now cover less than half of one percent of Arizona’s land mass, yet are of immense ecological importance — an estimated 60 to 80 percent of Arizona's native wildlife depends on riparian areas.

Keeping water in the rivers provides important habitat, but it also helps support tourism and recreation in many parts of our state.  Tourism contributes significantly to Arizona's economy and constitutes the state's largest employment sector; it affects one in five jobs in Arizona, directly and indirectly.

The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area is a critical area in our arid desert region as it contains flowing water and supports an extensive riparian community including native cottonwood and willow.  This area is also critical for support of wildlife. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the Conservation Area has more than 350 species of birds and over 80 species of mammals, including mule deer, javelina, bobcats, mountain lions, and several species of bats.  Only two of the original 14 native fish species remain in the river — the longfin dace and desert sucker.  There are also more than 40 species of amphibians and reptiles including Gila monsters, Mexican garter snakes and Couch’s spadefoot toad.  The area is popular among birdwatchers, photographers, and others interested in wildlife viewing.

The fate of Fort Huachuca and the economy of the area is closely tied to the San Pedro River and protecting, maintaining and enhancing the riparian area and the river.