subsequent active management area; designation.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill uses both 'may' and 'shall' in different contexts; it says the director shall designate areas if conditions exist, but also must periodically review non-managed areas.

SB1389: Rules for Designating New Groundwater Management Areas

This law requires state officials to create new groundwater protection zones if specific problems like water shortages, land sinking, or poor water quality occur.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the director to designate a subsequent active management area if certain conditions exist.
• Mandates action when managing groundwater is needed to save supplies for future use.
• Triggers designation if land sinking or cracking threatens property or potential groundwater storage capacity.
• Requires review when groundwater use causes actual or threatened drops in water quality.
• States that new management areas must cover whole basins, not just parts of them.

Who It Names or Affects

• The director responsible for managing Arizona's water resources.
• Groundwater basins outside the original active management zones.

Terms To Know

Subsequent Active Management Area

A new zone created after the first ones to manage groundwater use and protect supplies.

Land Subsidence or Fissuring

When ground sinks down low or cracks open, which can endanger property or potential water storage capacity.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not list specific dates for when the director must finish reviews.
• It allows exceptions only for regional aquifer systems in northern Arizona regarding basin size rules.
• The text does not explain how much funding is available to carry out these new designations.

Official Summary Text

SB1389 - subsequent active management area; designation.

Current Bill Text

SB1389 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
subsequent active management area; designation.

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1389

Introduced by

Senator
Sundareshan

AN
ACT

amending section 45-412, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to subsequent active management areas.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 45-412, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
45-412.

Subsequent active management areas; criteria; review of
groundwater basins not subject to active management

A. The director
may
shall
designate an area
which
that
is not included within an initial active management area,
pursuant to section 45-411, as a subsequent active management area if the
director determines that any of the following exists:

1. Active management practices are necessary to
preserve the existing supply of groundwater for future needs.

2. Land subsidence or fissuring is endangering
property or potential groundwater storage capacity.

3. Use of groundwater is resulting in actual or
threatened water quality degradation.

B. An active management area designated pursuant to
this section may include more than one groundwater basin but shall not be
smaller than a groundwater basin or include only a portion of a groundwater
basin, except for the regional aquifer systems of northern Arizona.

C. The director shall periodically review all areas
which
that
are not included within an
active management area to determine whether such areas meet any of the criteria
for active management areas as prescribed in this section.
END_STATUTE