The Arizona Department of Water Resources has begun the formal process to consider designating the Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin in La Paz County as an active management area, a move aimed at addressing concerns over excessive groundwater pumping in rural Arizona.
Gov. Katie Hobbs and local leaders announced their support for the decision on Wednesday, describing it as a long-awaited step toward protecting water resources in the region.
“When I traveled to La Paz County, I saw firsthand the struggles of local residents and business owners who have had to deal with unrestricted groundwater pumping from out-of-state corporations,” Hobbs said in a released statement. “It’s time to put Arizonans first and protect our water from corporate interests profiting at our expense.”
Local officials and residents have long raised concerns about declining groundwater levels in the area. According to ADWR, groundwater outflows in the Ranegras Plain Basin exceed replenishment by roughly 900 percent, making it one of the state’s most overdrawn aquifers.
La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin, who has advocated for groundwater protections for years, called the agency’s action a “hard stance” toward safeguarding local water supplies.
“With the spotlight finally on groundwater issues throughout Arizona, La Paz County now has the ability to protect the Ranegras Plain Basin with the creation of an AMA,” Irwin said in a released statement.
Longtime rancher Boyce Andersen and former pastor Carroll Miles also voiced support for the move, citing years of strain on local wells and rural communities.
The proposed designation follows Hobbs’ recent visit to La Paz County, where she met with residents affected by overpumping and observed evidence of dried wells and land subsidence.
ADWR has issued a Notice of Initiation of Designation Procedures—the first step in the process toward potentially establishing an AMA in the Ranegras Plain Basin. The department will accept public comments and host a hearing on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. at the Desert Gold RV Resort in Brenda, Ariz. (46628 US 60 E, Salome, AZ 85348).
If the basin is ultimately designated as an AMA, groundwater withdrawals in the area could become subject to new management and conservation requirements.