Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs released a report stating that Phoenix’s West Valley is short of its 100-year supply of water required by law. She followed the announcement with an Executive Order to modernize Arizona’s groundwater management.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources reported the Lower Hassayampa sub-basin that encompasses the far West Valley of Phoenix is projected to have a total unmet demand of 4.4 million acre-feet over a 100-year period.
"The bottom line: the Arizona Department of Water Resources cannot approve the development of subdivisions reliant on groundwater," a press release from Hobbs' office said.
The Governor outlined short- and long-term solutions in an address, first of which is a new office dedicated to water, energy and land use solutions: the Governor’s Office of Resiliency. It will coordinate stakeholders among state agencies, tribal governments, universities, organizations and others to address Arizona’s water challenges from a local, state, regional and national level.
Governor Hobbs issued an Executive Order to establish the Governor’s Water Policy Council, tasked with modernizing the Arizona Groundwater Management Act. The group will update groundwater management tools and protect groundwater, which serves as 41% of the state’s water supply.
Governor Hobbs also previewed her executive budget proposal, which intends to allocate funds to help rural communities strike a balance between usage and recharging aquifers through Active Management Areas.
For the full press release and full executive order, click here.
