Assigned to NREW AS PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2022
water resources; annual report
(NOW: water; report; fees; levee)
Purpose
An emergency measure that extends the date, from July 1 to August 15, for the Director of
the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to annually provide a report of the ADWR's
operations to the Governor and the Legislature. Outlines ADWR fee maximums for applications.
Requires the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) to distribute monies to
Navajo County for the Little Colorado River Levee budget line item.
Background
The ADWR was established in 1980 for the purpose of water planning, management and
regulation within Arizona. The ADWR regulates surface water in Arizona and groundwater within
Active Management Areas (AMAs). AMAs are areas of Arizona where groundwater pumping was
the heaviest at the time the Arizona Groundwater Management Act of 1980 was enacted and
continues to require regulation of groundwater use (ADWR). Surface water is the waters of all
sources, flowing in streams, canyons, ravines or other natural channels, or in definite underground
channels, whether perennial or intermittent, floodwater, wastewater or surplus water, and of lakes,
ponds and springs on the surface. Groundwater is water under the surface of the earth regardless
of the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving (A.R.S. § 45-101). By July 1 each year,
the Director of the ADWR must provide an operations report to the Governor and the Legislature
with legislative recommendations and other information for the public (A.R.S. § 45-111).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
ADWR
1. Requires ADWR to reduce the following application fees to not more than $100 per
application:
a) an application fee for a certificate of grandfathered right in an AMA established after
January 1, 2022; and
b) an application for a notice of authority to irrigate land in an irrigation non-expansion area
established after January 1, 2022.
2. Extends the date, from July 1 to August 15, for the Director of the ADWR to annually provide
a report of the ADWR's operations, including operations relating to dam safety, levee repairs
and other floor control activities, to the Governor and the Legislature. FACT SHEET – Amended
H.B. 2022
Page 2
3. Instructs the ADWR to publish the report on the ADWR's website.
4. Exempts ADWR from rulemaking requirements for one year.
WIFA
5. Requires WIFA to distribute the monies in the Little Colorado River Levee budget line item to
Navajo County, rather than the City of Winslow, to reconstruct the Little Colorado River levee.
Miscellaneous
6. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is enacted.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Specifies that the annual report of ADWR's operations must include operations relating to dam
safety, levee repairs and other flood control activities.
2. Requires ADWR to reduce the application fees to not more than $100 for outlined applications.
3. Exempts ADWR from rulemaking requirements for one year.
4. Requires WIFA to distribute the monies in the Little Colorado River Levee line item to Navajo
County, rather than the City of Winslow, to reconstruct the Little Colorado River levee.
5. Adds an emergency clause.
House Action Senate Action
NREW 2/14/23 DP 10-0-0-0 NREW 3/30/23 DP 7-0-0
3
rd
Read 2/22/23 58-2-0
Prepared by Senate Research
May 15, 2023
RA/slp