Sometimes I wonder, what am I going to write about on water this time? Then it’s like a rock falling from the sky and it just hits you . . .
Photo by webmink
I just received a copy of an email blast sent to members of the legislature entitled, Arizona’s Water Community Opposed to HB 2661 . . . . Well, you might ask, who makes up Arizona’s Water Community? This community is not comprised of water policy experts, but consists of large water users around the state. The group should be called Arizona’s Large Water Users Opposed to Conservation, or the Pump That Sucker Dry group. In addition to some farming and ranching associations this group, which had probably been in existence for all of 24 hours before the email blast, lists the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, the Arizona Mining Association and Arizona Rock Products as members in good standing. Of course, EPCOR Water and Global Water Resources, two groups that depend on continued growth to grow their companies, have also associated themselves with this effort to oppose unchecked pumping in rural areas.
HB 2661, which the House Committee on Natural Resources Energy and Water chair Rep. Gail Griffin has pigeonholed for three years running, attempts to allow a combination of the locally elected County Board of Supervisors, local water users and citizens to determine their own destiny. The challenge of some rural areas in Arizona is to stop outside interests from flocking to their localities and pumping their aquifers to dangerously low levels. The stunning lack of regulation has turned parts of rural Arizona into a mecca of sorts for businesses looking for the last frontier to mine groundwater.
A Mad Dash to the Last Frontier!
Photo from Rosenfeld Media
The disingenuous opposition of this “water community” seeks to undermine growing support for the Rural Management Area (RMA) legislation. The group claims the RMA would “undermine the management authority of the Arizona Department of Water Resources by creating California style county water boards outside of Active Management Areas (AMAs).” What this group doesn’t tell you is that they have consistently opposed the creation of AMAs in these areas.
California . . . BAD!
Photo by lawrence’s lenses
The group also claims an AMA would “allow undefined and regressive water regulations in rural Arizona , which would be more restrictive than existing Active Management Areas.” Frankly the whole idea of an RMA is to be less restrictive and more flexible in its approach rather than a one-size-fits all program like an AMA which is why the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, the mayor of Kingman, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, the mayor of Prescott, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, the mayor of Flagstaff and a host of others have supported this legislation.
The ”water community” also believes an RMA would “lead to disjointed water management since groundwater basins do not follow county jurisdictional lines. Well, READ THE BILL! The bill outlines the procedure for multi-jurisdictional groundwater basins across county lines. In fact, no county can force another county to go along with an RMA. A county in the same basin, or sub-basin can opt out if it desires.
This group also makes the claim that HB2661 would “authorize a taxing authority for water management boards.” The “water community” knows full well, that is IF THESE FOLKS REALLY READ THE BILL, that the legislation would provide the Arizona Department of Water Resources $50 million from the State Lottery Fund to manage the program. Counties already have relatively broad taxing authority through the creation of special taxing districts, but nothing in the bill grants them any extra authority to tax. The bill does, however, allow an RMA Council to “seek and receive public and private monies to assist with its planning, management and purpose including grants . . .”
The group’s opposition centers around two timeless bugaboos . . . the words “California” and “tax.” Look, I hate California as much as the next red-blooded Arizonan, but the gratuitous use of the word obscures the fact that a substantial part of this problem stems from Californians driven out of state and looking for water in rural Arizona . . . and the word “tax” is nowhere to be found in the bill. So, to the members of “Arizona’s Water Community” I say, READ THE BILL!
Oh, that’s different! Never mind . . .
Emily Litella, Saturday Night Live