- The Arizona Department of Water Resources has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit seeking state action to protect the San Pedro River from groundwater pumping.
- Governor Hobbs cited uncertainties about surface water rights and the fact that most groundwater use is by federal entities that are not necessarily subject to state regulation.
- The Arizona Department of Water Resources has launched other efforts to address the issue, including developing a groundwater model and a water supply-demand study.
August 8, 2024 –– The Arizona Daily Star
reports that Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) have offered explanations for their decision not to create an Active Management Area (AMA) to protect the San Pedro River from groundwater pumping. In response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and others, Hobbs cited uncertainties about surface water rights in the Upper San Pedro River Basin and the fact that most groundwater use in the area is by federal entities that are not necessarily subject to state regulation.
ADWR has launched other efforts to address the issue, including developing a groundwater model to simulate how the area’s groundwater interacts with river water flows, supporting unspecified projects to address groundwater declines, and developing a water supply-demand study of the basin by December.
The Governor and ADWR have reportedly moved to dismiss the case.
Water use claims in the San Pedro River watershed are already the subject of active litigation known as the Gila River adjudication. Issues concerning the pumping of potential San Pedro River subflow are part of the litigation.
More information from the Arizona Daily Star.
Image:
San Pedro River
, by maarit u, November 2011. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
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