A. The director may designate an area which 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:

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 45-412

  • Active management area: means a geographical area that has been designated pursuant to article 2 of this chapter as requiring active management of groundwater or, in the case of the Santa Cruz active management area, active management of any water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well. See Arizona Laws 45-402
  • Director: means the director of water resources, who is also the director of the department. See Arizona Laws 45-101
  • Groundwater: means water under the surface of the earth regardless of the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving. See Arizona Laws 45-101
  • Groundwater basin: means an area that, as nearly as known facts allow as determined by the director pursuant to this chapter, may be designated so as to enclose a relatively hydrologically distinct body or related bodies of groundwater, which shall be described horizontally by surface description. See Arizona Laws 45-402
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Subsequent active management area: means an active management area established after June 12, 1980 pursuant to article 2 of this chapter. See Arizona Laws 45-402
  • Subsidence: means the settling or lowering of the surface of land that results from the withdrawal of groundwater. See Arizona Laws 45-402

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 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.

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