Assigned to NR FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2271
supply and demand; assessment; groundwater
Purpose
Requires the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to include
outlined data in each five-year supply and demand assessment for each groundwater basin.
Background
A groundwater basin is underground area from which groundwater drains. The basins
could be separated by geologic or hydrologic boundaries. The Director of ADWR establishes the
boundaries of each groundwater basin and sub-basin through a statutory process. The state’s active
management areas are each individual groundwater basins (ADWR).
By December 1 of each year, the Director of ADWR must prepare and issue a water supply
and demand assessment for at least 6 of the 51 groundwater basins. The Director of ADWR must
ensure that a water supply and demand assessment is completed for all groundwater basins and
initial active management areas at least once every five years. The Director of ADWR may contract
with outside entities to perform some or all of the assessments and those outside entities shall be
identified in the assessment (A.R.S. § 45-105).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Director of ADWR to include in each five-year supply and demand assessment
for each groundwater basin:
a) the average depth-to-static level across the groundwater basin at the end of the assessment
period, measured in feet;
b) the average net increase or decrease in the average depth-to-static level across the
groundwater basin over each of the five years preceding the end of the assessment period,
measured in feet;
c) the maximum depth of bedrock at the deepest point in the groundwater basin, measured in
feet;
d) the average depth-to-bedrock level across the groundwater basin, measured in feet;
e) the total number of active index wells in the groundwater basin, measured in whole
numbers;
f) the average distance between each active index well in the groundwater basin, measured
in miles;
g) the average geographic distribution or density of active index wells in the groundwater
basin, measured in number of active index wells per section of land; FACT SHEET
H.B. 2271
Page 2
h) the total volume of groundwater available in the groundwater basin to its maximum depth
at the end of the assessment period, measured in acre-feet;
i) the total number of years worth of groundwater available in the groundwater basin to its
maximum depth at the current annual average rate of increase or decline in the groundwater
basin, measured in years;
j) the total number of active and passive stormwater and groundwater recharge projects in the
groundwater basin, measured in whole numbers; and
k) the total volume of increased groundwater recharged in the groundwater basin due to active
and passive stormwater and groundwater recharge projects in the groundwater basin in
each of the five years preceding the end of the assessment period, measured in acre-feet.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
NREW 2/20/25 DP 4-3-0-3
3
rd
Read 2/26/25 32-27-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 14, 2025
SB/SN/ci