By Howard FischerCapitol Media ServicesPHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs on Wednesday vetoed five bills changing water laws in Arizona, concluding they would cause more harm than good.The governor rejected an extensive measure that would have allowed the construction of new subdivisions in certain areas of the state which are dependent on groundwater.Proponents have argued that these developments would take place where there have been farms that already have been irrigated with groundwater. The net result, they contend, is that there would be no net increase in the amount pumped.”The concept at the core of this bill — conversion of agricultural lands to lower water use development — is a policy that has broad potential benefits,” the governor said in her veto message. And Hobbs said she supports the goal.But Hobbs, in her veto message, questioned whether there really would be any savings. And she was hesitant to start crafting exceptions to the state’s 1980 Groundwater Act which became the first real effort to recognize that there is not an infinite supply of water.
“Any time you are having a situation where you are taking one use that is at a higher level, you are able to transfer that to a lower water use, you are creating a credit that’s a credit to the aquifer,” said state Sen. Sine Kerr. “That’s a good thing,” said the Buckeye Republican. “That’s what we need to be doing.”
Other measures vetoed Wednesday include:- Allowing someone seeking a certificate of assured water supply for a new subdivision in the Pima, Pinal or Phoenix active management ar …
See the full article on Arizona residential development, or, read more Arizona real estate investing news. Feel free to share our site with your investor friends.
