Month: January 2026

Governor’s Executive Budget Proposal Includes Funding for Key ADWR Initiatives

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         January 16, 2025

CONTACT: Doug MacEachern or Shauna Evans

PHONE: 602.771.8507 or 602.771.8079

GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES FUNDING FOR KEY ADWR INITIATIVES

Funding to support Arizona’s on-going efforts to protect the State from  Colorado River supply reductions

Phoenix, AZ — Today, Governor Hobbs released her FY 2027 Executive Budget, which funds critical ADWR programs and efforts, including water conservation, consumptive use reductions, infrastructure upgrades, supply augmentation, and other shortage mitigation efforts.

It is paramount that Arizona protects its water users and mitigates the adverse effects of anticipated reductions across the basin. To support Arizona’s water users, the initiatives funded in the budget proposal include:

  • $30 million one-time deposit into the newly created Colorado River Protection Fund to aid conservation efforts and continue building a sustainable and growing economy.
  • Permanent funding into the Colorado River Protection Fund through a water usage fee assessed on data centers by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

“Once again, Arizona is leading the way in protecting the Colorado River and at recognizing the drier future ahead and the challenges that drier future presents to all the Colorado River states,” said ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke.

“These resources proposed by Governor Hobbs represent Arizona’s commitment to protecting the river, as well as the Arizona water users and citizens who depend upon it.”

“I hope that this financial commitment by the Governor will send a message to our Colorado River partner states, as well as the federal government, that Arizona is prepared once again to make necessary sacrifices to protect the system, just as we were in 2019 with the Drought Contingency Plan.”

The current guidelines for the operation and management of the Colorado River system expire at the end of calendar year 2026. Arizona and the six other Basin States are negotiating the post-2026 guidelines with the federal Bureau of Reclamation in order to develop a framework that more sustainably manages the Colorado River system.

The Director of ADWR serves as Arizona’s lead negotiator and is charged with protecting the State’s 2.8 million acre-feet entitlement of Colorado River water, representing as much as 40 percent of the State’s water supply.

While Arizona is committed to collaboration and cooperation with its Basin States partners, it is possible that new guidelines or the absence of a negotiated outcome could result in litigation among the Basin States.

Arizona continues to pursue good-faith negotiations that hopefully will result in a consensus outcome for more sustainable Colorado River management. At the same time, this appropriation ensures that ADWR has the resources to defend Arizona’s interests and water users who depend on the State’s precious Colorado River entitlement.

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ADWR Director finds cause for Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin to become Arizona’s 8th Active Management Area

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         January 12, 2026

ADWR DIRECTOR FINDS CAUSE FOR RANEGRAS PLAIN GROUNDWATER BASIN TO BECOME ARIZONA’S 8TH ACTIVE MANAGEMENT AREA

PHOENIX – The Director of Arizona Department of Water Resources, Tom Buschatzke, on Friday, January 9, issued his Findings, Decision and Order to designate the Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin as a subsequent Active Management Area (AMA).

As a result of the decision, the Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin AMA becomes the eighth Arizona AMA and the third to be designated since 2022.

The Department first identified the Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin as a basin experiencing significant groundwater level declines at the Governor’s Water Policy Council (GWPC) Rural Groundwater Management Committee meeting held on August 17, 2023.

ADWR held an informational public meeting on October 15, 2025, where ADWR staff presented hydrologic and regulatory information, and answered questions from residents and stakeholders. The Department later released a technical memorandum describing the hydrologic information on file regarding the basin and then held a statutorily-required formal hearing, on December 18, 2025.

As part of the formal hearing, the Department received over 400 oral and written comments. The vast majority supported designating the Ranegras Plain AMA.

“The future of residents and businesses depends upon protecting the finite groundwater resources in the Ranegras Plain basin. This is a critical step in achieving that outcome,” said Director Buschatzke.

Water users in the Ranegras Plain Basin rely on groundwater as the sole source for their agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential water uses.

Groundwater pumping in the basin has increased significantly since 2015, with annual withdrawals now exceeding inflows by more than 900 percent. As a result of the substantial overdraft on the aquifer, groundwater level declines of over 200 feet have been observed since the 1980s.  Those pronounced declines have led to significant land subsidence in the basin, the rate of which has been increasing year over year.

One well showed a decline of 242 feet over the last 40 years. These declines and associated subsidence jeopardize wells and groundwater storage in the Basin.

AMAs institute mandatory metering/measurement and reporting requirements for non-exempt groundwater use. Reliable water use data benefits all water users in the basin, improving decision-making and water management, and encouraging transparency. AMAs formalize and quantify groundwater water rights and withdrawal authorities, giving groundwater users certainty and security. 

AMAs are required to institute a Management Goal and Management Plans for the basin, developed and adopted with local input. Management Plans come with mandatory conservation requirements and other measures to implement the Goal. 

The Department will send additional information to stakeholders and residents of the basin over the coming weeks.

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For further information, contact:

ADWR: Shauna Evans, Public Information Officer | 602-771-8079 | smevans@azwater.gov

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Arizona Department of Water Resources field hydrologists conducting “basin sweep” to collect water level measurements in the Willcox, Douglas, San Bernardino Valley and San Simon Basins

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PHOENIX- Beginning the week of January 12th, 2026, and continuing for several months, Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) field services staff will be making an extensive effort to measure water levels in wells in the Willcox, Douglas, San Bernardino Valley and San Simon Basins.  ADWR staff will attempt to measure water levels at hundreds of wells in these groundwater basins.  This survey of wells – or “basin sweep,” as it is known — will be the first such basin survey of the area since 2021.

The data collected will be analyzed and used to obtain a comprehensive overview of the groundwater conditions and used to support scientific and water management planning efforts. Data collected will be used for several purposes, including:

  • Analysis of water-level trends
  • Groundwater modeling
  • Water-level change maps
  • Hydrologic reports
  • Water resource planning and management

The general area covered by this basin sweep is the southeastern portion of the state and extends from the U.S. – Mexico border to north of Willcox, Bowie and San Simon. 

For more information regarding this matter, please contact Public Information Officer Shauna Evans at smevans@azwater.gov or (602) 771-8079.

Details about the nature of basin sweeps and groundwater modeling can be found here. If you would like to volunteer your well for participation in this groundwater survey please contact the Hydrology Division at (602) 771-8535.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND ARIZONA WATER PROTECTION FUND GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINES REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

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Arizona Water Protection Fund

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         January 6, 2026

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND ARIZONA WATER PROTECTION FUND GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINES REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

PHOENIX – The Arizona Water Protection Fund (AWPF) is a competitive state grant program that provides funding to interested parties for maintaining, enhancing, and restoring river and riparian resources throughout Arizona, including projects that benefit fish and wildlife that are dependent on these important resources. The distribution of grant funds from the AWPF is authorized pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-2101 et seq. and is overseen by the Arizona Water Protection Fund Commission (Commission). The program is administered through the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-2105 et seq. the Commission is required to develop guidelines for applicants for funding, and is seeking input from interested landowners, state and federal agencies, Tribal entities, local government entities, non-profit organizations, and the public.

Specifically, the Commission is requesting comments related to:

  • Current grant application structure and processes, and suggestions on streamlining and/or simplifying the grant application;
  • Geographic areas in the state where protection and restoration should be prioritized (e.g., particular watersheds or streams; feature categories such as stream headwaters; etc.);
  • Issues of concern that the AWPF should focus on across the state or in specific areas; and
  • Types of measures to address the issues of concerns identified.

The most recent version of the AWPF grant application may reviewed online at https://www.azwpf.gov/ or in person at the Arizona Department of Water Resources office (address listed below).

A public hearing to receive comments, with a virtual attendance option, will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the following location:

Arizona Department of Water Resources

Thunder River Conference Room

1110 W. Washington Street, Suite #310

Phoenix, AZ  85007

Cisco Webex Application Guidelines Hearing Information

Link: https://bit.ly/48Y9pRc
Meeting Number (Access Code): 2535 625 5151
Meeting Password: Gx6RBYMUr33

or                                

Join by Phone

1-415-655-0001 US TollAccess Code: 2535 625 5151

Any person may appear at the public hearing, either in person or by representative, and submit oral or written comments.  Any person attending via webinar may present oral comments.  Persons presenting comments at the hearing or via webinar may be subject to a time limit to ensure all who wish to speak receive an opportunity to do so.  If, because of a disability, you need a reasonable accommodation to participate equally at this public hearing, contact Lizette Fuentes at 602-771-8472 or lfuentes@azwater.gov. Please make requests as soon as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.

Comments not submitted at the public hearing may be submitted during the 45-day public comment period, which begins Tuesday, January 13, 2026 and ends Friday, February 27, 2026 at 5 p.m.  Written public comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., on February 27, 2026.  Written comments can be hand-delivered, or sent via email or fax.  If mailed, written comments must be postmarked no later than February 27, 2026.  Please send written comments electronically or in writing to:

MAILING ADDRESSPHYSICAL ADDRESS
Arizona Department of Water Resources
Arizona Water Protection Fund
Attn: Reuben Teran
1802 W Jackson St. Box #79
Phoenix, Arizona 85007		Arizona Department of Water Resources
Arizona Water Protection Fund
Attn: Reuben Teran
1110 West Washington, Suite 310
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
FAXEMAIL
(602) 771 -8686rteran@azwater.gov

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