irrigation non-expansion area; substitution; acres

This Arizona bill updates regulations for irrigating land in specific groundwater areas and initiates a public vote on water management in the Willcox basin. It clarifies that only land legally irrigated between 1975 and 1980, or irrigated with groundwater in the five years prior to a new designation, can continue using groundwater for irrigation, while allowing exceptions for those with pre-existing surface water rights. The law also requires users of non-exempt wells to install water measuring devices and file annual reports, with penalties for non-compliance, and permits correctional facilities to irrigate up to ten acres for inmate work programs. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for voters in the Willcox groundwater basin to decide whether to designate the area as an irrigation non-expansion zone. If voters approve this designation, the state director will officially declare the area restricted, and landowners will gain the option to retire irrigable acres in exchange for the same number of acres elsewhere without increasing total water withdrawals.