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water supply development revolving fund

Our Position: oppose
Bill Number: HB2692
Sponsor: Mason, Ableser, Saradnik, et al.
Legislative Session: 2007 Legislative Session

HB2692 water supply development revolving fund (Mason, Ableser, Saradnik, et al.) establishes a water development revolving fund for the purpose of providing financial assistance to water providers for water supply development.  It allows the use of the fund to water providers who are located within a county or municipality that has adopted the adequacy requirements for new subdivisions in SB1575 or that is within an active management area, and it contains a conditional enactment provision relative to the water adequacy bill.  This bill is another mechanism for fueling urban, suburban, and rural sprawl.  It does not provide any protections for stream or river flows and therefore could be used by Prescott or Prescott Valley to pipe from the Big Chino and dry up the upper portion of the Verde River. 

Status

The bill did not contain any actual funding and there was nothing in the budget for it, so it will do little damage -- for now.

Action Needed

To see who voted no, click on HB2692 vote.  To contact your representatives, click on House or in the Phoenix area call (602) 926-4221, in Tucson you can call (520) 398-6000 or for any area outside the Phoenix area, call toll free 1-800-352-8404 and ask to be connected to your legislator’s office.  In Tucson, you can call (520) 398-6000. 

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Background

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 associated activities with livestock grazing, mining, irrigated agriculture, motorized recreation, and urban/suburban sprawl 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.  The state's heaviest water users continue to be in the agriculture sector, so it is no surprise that rivers in agricultural zones no longer flow.

Some estimates indicate that less than 10% 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 are of immense ecological importance — 60% of Arizona's native wildlife depends on riparian areas and 10-20% use riparian areas for part of their life cycle.

Keeping water in the rivers provides important habitat, but it also helps support tourism and recreation in some 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.

Changing water laws in Arizona is a difficult prospect at best.  This bill to provide more funding to build infrastructure should have included a modest measure to provide some protection for surface flows and protection of riparian areas.  It does not and therefore should be rejected.