appropriation; stormwater recharge mapping; sites

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the map creation deadline is 'within one year after the effective date,' but the specific effective date of this bill is not provided in the source material.

HB2053: Funding for Stormwater Recharge Maps

This bill gives $100,000 from the state budget in fiscal year 2027 to create a new map showing where rainwater can be safely stored underground without taking water meant for other uses.

What This Bill Does

• Sets aside $100,000 from the General Fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 for mapping projects.
• Requires the Arizona Department of Water Resources to create an updated map within one year after the bill takes effect.
• Directs officials to find sites with soil that is best for letting water soak into the ground and refill underground supplies.
• Ensures mapped sites do not capture surface water that belongs to other users or conflict with existing rights, based on the director's judgment.
• Defines stormwater as rain runoff that does not flow into streams and would otherwise be lost to evaporation.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR)
• Agricultural improvement districts
• Irrigation districts
• Other water users in the state

Terms To Know

Stormwater recharge mapping

Creating a map that shows where rain can be collected and soaked into the ground to refill underground water supplies.

Appropriable surface water

Water in rivers or streams that people have legal rights to use for farming, cities, or other needs.

General Fund

The main pool of money collected by the state government from taxes and fees.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not list specific locations where recharge sites will be found.
• It is unclear if more funding will be provided after fiscal year 2026-2027 to maintain these maps or build the sites.
• Whether a site conflicts with existing water rights depends on the director's sole judgment.

Official Summary Text

HB2053 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House:
NREW DPA 6-4-0-0 | APPROP DPA 11-7-0-0

HB
2053
: appropriation; stormwater recharge mapping; sites

Sponsor:
Representative Griffin, LD 19

House
Engrossed

Overview

Appropriates
$100,000 from the state General Fund (GF) in fiscal year (FY) 2027 to the
Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) for updated stormwater recharge
mapping. Directs ADWR to provide a map of recharge sites that meet certain
specifications.

History

Laws 2016,
Chapter 164
directed ADWR and the Arizona State Land
Department (SLD) to cooperate to develop a preliminary report that identified
potential water storage sites on State Trust land.
Laws 2021,
Chapter 33
directed the two agencies to focus specifically
on underground water storage sites and allowed for the completion of the 2017 preliminary
analysis (
Water Storage
Report, ADWR & SLD
).

Laws 2025,
Chapter 233
appropriated $250,000 in FY 2026 to the Natural
Resource Conservation Board (NRCB) to clean and restore groundwater recharge
facilities that provide flood control benefits and are located in a groundwater
basin that has been designated as a subsequent active management area
(subsequent AMA).

A general adjudication
of a water right is
defined as an action for the judicial determination or establishment of the
extent and priority of the rights of all persons to use water in any river
system and source (
A.R.S. � 45-251
).

An
agricultural improvement district
is a public,
political, taxing subdivision of the state, and a municipal corporation to the
extent of the powers and privileges conferred by Title 48, Chapter 17 or
granted generally to municipal corporations and statutes of the state,
including immunity of its property and bonds from taxation (
A.R.S. �
48-2302
).

Provisions

1.

Appropriates
$100,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADWR for updated stormwater recharge
mapping. (Sec. 1)

2.

Directs ADWR
to, within one year after the effective date of this act, coordinate with
agricultural improvement districts, irrigation districts, other water users in
the state and the NRCB to provide an updated map of potential stormwater
recharge sites in the state that would not capture appropriable surface water.
(Sec. 1)

3.

Specifies
that the updated stormwater recharge map must identify the location of
potential stormwater recharge sites that:

a.

are located
on any lands in the state, including public and private lands;

b.

have optimum
soil conditions for stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge; and

c.

would not,
if developed, capture appropriable surface water. (Sec. 1)

4.

Defines
stormwater

as unappropriated rainwater runoff that does not enter a stream or natural
channel and that is otherwise lost to evaporation. (Sec. 1)

5.

6.

7.

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FOOTER ---------

8.

Initials CW��������������������� HB
2053

9.

2/27/2026� Page 0 House
Engrossed

10.

11.

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FOOTER ---------

Current Bill Text

HB2053 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

appropriation;
stormwater recharge mapping; sites

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2053

AN
ACT

Appropriating monies to the department of
water resources.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Appropriation;
department of water resources; stormwater recharge mapping; definition

A. The sum of $100,000 is
appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the
department of water resources for updated stormwater recharge mapping.

B. Within one
year after the effective date of this section, the
department of water resources shall
create an
updated map of potential stormwater recharge sites in this state that
would not, if developed, and in the director's sole
discretion pursuant to title 45, chapter 1, article 5, Arizona Revised
Statutes, appropriate appropriable or appropriated surface water or conflict
with vested rights under title 45, chapter 1, article 5, Arizona Revised
Statutes.

C. The updated stormwater
recharge map shall identify the location of potential stormwater recharge sites
in this state that meet all of the following criteria:

1. Are located on any lands
in this state, including public and private lands.

2. Have optimum soil
conditions for stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge.
The director shall coordinate with the state natural
resource conservation board established by section 41-6011, Arizona
Revised Statutes, for the purposes of identifying the locations with ideal soil
conditions for stormwater infiltration.

3. Would not, if developed,
and in the director's sole discretion pursuant to title 45, chapter 1, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes, appropriate appropriable or appropriated surface
water or conflict with vested rights, under title 45, chapter 1, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes.

D. For the purposes of this
section, "stormwater" means
unappropriated
rainwater runoff that does not enter a stream or natural channel
or that is otherwise lost to evaporation.