Arizona Laws 45-576.08. Pinal active management area; assured water supply; physical availability; definitions
A. All of the following apply in the Pinal active management area for an application to modify a designation of assured water supply:
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 45-576.08
- 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or, in the case of the Santa Cruz active management area, active management of any water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well.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
- Director: means the director of water resources, who is also the director of the department. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- 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
- Irrigation district: means a political subdivision, however designated, established pursuant to Title 48, Chapter 17 or 19. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Stored water: means water that is stored underground for the purpose of recovery pursuant to a permit issued under chapter 3. See Arizona Laws 45-402
1. If the total volume of groundwater and stored water to be recovered outside the area of impact of storage sought to be included in the designation does not exceed the total volume of those sources of water included in the previous designation minus the sum of the volume of groundwater actually withdrawn and the volume of stored water recovered outside the area of impact of storage by the applicant since issuance of the previous designation order:
(a) The director shall not review the physical availability of the groundwater and stored water to be recovered outside of the area of impact of storage sought to be included in the designation.
(b) The physical availability of the groundwater and stored water to be recovered outside the area of impact of storage sought to be included in the designation shall not be grounds for an objection.
2. Paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not affect the director’s review of assured water supply criteria other than the physical availability of groundwater and stored water to be recovered outside the area of impact of storage.
3. Both of the following are deemed physically available for purposes of an assured water supply designation:
(a) Stored water that is to be recovered by the applicant within the area of impact of storage pursuant to existing long-term storage credits pledged to the designation of assured water supply.
(b) Stored water that is to be recovered by the applicant within the area of impact of storage either on an annual basis pursuant to Section 45-851.01 or as long-term storage credits to be earned in the future if the water to be stored meets the physical availability requirements for the water supply under rules adopted pursuant to section 45-576, subsection H.
B. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Area of impact of storage" means any of the following:
(a) Within one mile of an existing or proposed underground storage facility where the water to be recovered is or will be stored.
(b) Within the district boundaries of an irrigation district that has a permit for a groundwater savings facility and where the water to be recovered is or will be stored.
(c) An area not described in subdivision (a) or (b) of this paragraph that has been shown to have been positively impacted by the storage of the water to be recovered as demonstrated by a hydrologic model approved by the director.
2. "Long-term storage credit" has the same meaning prescribed in Section 45-802.01.
3. "Stored water" has the same meaning prescribed in Section 45-802.01.