By Mary Goldmeer
Mail

As Arizona grapples with ongoing water supply challenges, particularly groundwater depletion, the state’s five Active Management Areas are being geared up for updates to their Management Plans set to take effect in 2025. The updated plans will shape how Arizona manages its groundwater resources for decades to come.

Arizona’s approach to groundwater management began with the Groundwater Management Act of 1980, established to address the growing groundwater overdraft problem caused by rapid population growth and agricultural expansion. The act created the Active Management Areas, which are regions where groundwater use is closely monitored and regulated.

Arizona has five AMAs with regulations catering to each area.

Each AMA has a specific plan with conservation programs tailored to the area’s unique needs. The state has made strides in improving water management during the past few decades, but challenges persist. Ongoing depletion of groundwater supplies, especially in the Phoenix AMA, has highlighted the need for continued, proactive management.

To that end, the Fifth Management Plan, “5MPs” is the final set of plans under the current structure, with a focus on reducing groundwater withdrawals and achieving a state of safe-yield, where the amount of water extracted annually matches the amount of natural and artificial recharge of the available ground water. Safe-yield is a long-term goal that aims to prevent further groundwater depletion and ensure the sustainability of water resources for future generations. The Phoenix AMA uses about 2.3 million acre-feet of water each year, the safe-yield goal is to have that much water replaced, leaving the amount of groundwater available for use constant.

“The management plans are a critical water resource planning tool that serve to document the current progress towards reaching safe-yield and should chart out a course for achieving water sustainability within an AMA,” said Warren Tenney, executive director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. “The 5MP is particularly important as it is the last statutorily authorized Management Plan, and its regulatory requirements may be in effect indefinitely.”

Though the area has made progress in improving groundwater management, reaching and maintaining safe-yield remains a significant challenge. Currently, the Phoenix AMA is not on track to achieve safe-yield by 2025, but the 5MPs are designed to further reduce groundwater use and move closer to this goal.

“While the 5MP acknowledges that the Phoenix AMA is a long way from meeting its management goal, we had hoped for the 5MP to put forth a clear strategy to close that gap and move the AMA closer to safe-yield,” Tenney said.

The updated 5MPs are part of the state’s ongoing efforts to manage and conserve water, responding to both environmental pressures and technological advances. As Arizona faces ongoing drought and rising water demand, updates to the Phoenix Active Management Area will promote water conservation across agriculture, municipalities, industries, and more.

• The biggest changes include:
   Agriculture Programs: the new program requires a 5% reduction in water duties for the top 25% of high-water-use farms, and implements a new Best Management Practices with a point system to incentivize efficient water use.
•  Municipal Water Use programs: New methods for calculating water use per day will be applied, allowing cities to set flexible water usage targets. And an updated non-drinkable water conservation program will be added to promote the reuse of water not fit for drinking.
•  Power Plant programs: New programs allow Power plants to adjust water use if they recycle their water for irrigation or other purposes.
• Changes to Golf Courses: Water allotments for golf courses will shift to be based on actual water use, with more accurate consumption data.

The development of the 5MPs has been a collaborative process. In 2019, the Arizona Department of Water Resources formed the Management Plans Work Group, which included stakeholders such as farmers, municipal water providers, environmental groups and business representatives. Through public meetings and surveys, ADWR gathered input and refined strategies that would work across various sectors. This collaborative approach helped ensure that the 5MPs reflect the diverse needs of Arizona’s water users.

The 5MPs includes detailed conservation programs for each industry sector. These programs are designed to reduce groundwater withdrawals and promote more sustainable practices. They are allotment- and practice-based and will help ensure all sectors within AMAs are using water efficiently.
The challenges facing Arizona’s water management are far from over. The state’s water resources are under pressure from increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, and over-reliance on groundwater.

“It is not certain that we are moving into a drier future, but it is something to plan for as prudent stewards of our water supplies,” said Christa McJunkin, director of water strategy for the Salt River Project. “Regulation should not fluctuate with wet and dry cycles. Arizona should undoubtedly be prudent with its water supplies and seek the necessary regulations for long-term achievement of safe-yield.”

While the 5MPs set the stage for future water management, they represent just one step in a long-term strategy. In response to these ongoing challenges, the post-2025 AMAs Committee, established in 2019, is looking at potential water management strategies beyond 2025. This committee will help Arizona adapt to new realities and ensure that the state remains on track to meet its water management goals.

The updated plan represents Arizona’s commitment to sustainable groundwater management, officials said, balancing the needs of urban, agricultural, and industrial sectors while ensuring the state’s water resources remain available for future generations. However, achieving long-term water sustainability will require continuous adaptation as Arizona faces increasingly complex water challenges.

The work set in motion by the 5MPs is just the beginning, and as the state moves forward, its approach to water management will need to remain responsive to evolving conditions.