ADWR Proposes Willcox Basin AMA
Aerial view of Willcox Playa, Arizona, USA
On October 23, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) announced that the Director is proposing formation of an Active Management Area (AMA) within the boundaries of the Willcox groundwater basin in southeastern Arizona. A public hearing on the proposal will be held, beginning at 1:00 pm on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Willcox Community Center. The hearing’s purpose is to “present factual data and receive comments and evidence on whether the Director should designate [the new AMA].” ADWR is taking written comments before, during, and until midnight after the meeting. As of the date of the announcement, no new acreage in the basin may be irrigated (see required notice at Willcox Groundwater Basin | Arizona Department of Water Resources).
In a public information session held on September 26, 2024, ADWR hydrologists displayed data showing that “Land and subsidence or fissuring is endangering property or potential groundwater storage capacity;” one of three criteria, any one of which may prompt the Director to consider designating a new AMA. They also showed a serious imbalance of groundwater extraction and recharge, indicating that an AMA may be “necessary to preserve the existing supply of groundwater for future needs;” a second criterion. News stories related to the announcement have highlighted positions for and against the proposal.