Arizona Laws 45-519. Drainage water withdrawal permit; conditions for issuance
A. A person may apply for and the director may issue a drainage water withdrawal permit if the director determines that drainage of irrigated lands is necessary for a reasonable economic return from agricultural production in respect to those lands and the withdrawal of such groundwater is consistent with the management plan and achievement of the management goal for the active management area.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 45-519
- Active management area: means a geographical area that has been designated pursuant to article 2 of this chapter as requiring active management of groundwater or, in the case of the Santa Cruz active management area, active management of any water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Convey: means to transfer the ownership of a grandfathered right from one person to another. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Director: means the director of water resources, who is also the director of the department. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- General industrial use: means a non-irrigation use of groundwater except those subject to permits issued pursuant to sections 45-513 and 45-514 and those for which a certificate of assured water supply is required pursuant to section 45-576. See Arizona Laws 45-511
- Grandfathered right: means a right to withdraw and use groundwater pursuant to article 5 of this chapter based on the fact of lawful withdrawals and use of groundwater before the date of the designation of an active management area. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Groundwater: means water under the surface of the earth regardless of the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- Non-irrigation grandfathered right: means a grandfathered right determined pursuant to section 45-463, 45-464, 45-469 or 45-472. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Non-irrigation use: means :
(a) With respect to areas outside an active management area and with respect to an active management area other than the Santa Cruz active management area, a use of groundwater other than an irrigation use. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Permit: means a permit to withdraw groundwater which is issued by the director pursuant to this article. See Arizona Laws 45-511
- Person: means an individual, public or private corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, society, estate or trust, any other private organization or enterprise, the United States, any state, territory or country or a governmental entity, political subdivision or municipal corporation organized under or subject to the constitution and laws of this state. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Service area: means :
(a) With respect to a city or town, the area of land actually being served water, for a non-irrigation use, by the city or town plus:
(i) Additions to such area that contain an operating distribution system owned by the city or town primarily for the delivery of water for a non-irrigation use. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Surface water: means the waters of all sources, flowing in streams, canyons, ravines or other natural channels, or in definite underground channels, whether perennial or intermittent, floodwater, wastewater or surplus water, and of lakes, ponds and springs on the surface. See Arizona Laws 45-101
B. The holder of a permit issued under subsection A of this section may:
1. Use groundwater withdrawn pursuant to the permit for a non-irrigation use if the person holds a non-irrigation grandfathered right pursuant to article 5 of this chapter, a general industrial use permit pursuant to section 45-515 or a service area right pursuant to article 6 of this chapter.
2. Convey groundwater withdrawn pursuant to the permit to another person for a non-irrigation use if the person receiving the groundwater holds a non-irrigation grandfathered right pursuant to article 5 of this chapter, a general industrial use permit pursuant to section 45-515 or a service area right pursuant to article 6 of this chapter.
C. When determining compliance with the applicable conservation requirements established pursuant to sections 45-565, 45-565.01, 45-566, 45-566.01, 45-567, 45-567.01, 45-568 and 45-568.01, the director shall account for groundwater withdrawn pursuant to a permit issued pursuant to subsection A of this section as surface water if the groundwater is withdrawn before January 1, 2035 from within the boundaries of the exempted area prescribed by Section 45-411.01, subsection E and is used pursuant to subsection B of this section at a turf related facility or riparian habitat within the exempted area. The director shall cease accounting for the groundwater as surface water on expiration of the exemptions provided for in Section 45-411.01 or on termination of the permit, whichever occurs first.
D. The director shall monitor withdrawals of groundwater pursuant to a drainage water withdrawal permit and shall terminate the permit if the conditions for issuance specified in subsection A of this section no longer apply. A permit issued pursuant to this section may be renewed subject to the same criteria used in granting the original permit.