LWVAZ Public Policy Position - full document.

Recap of LWVAZ current public policy on Water:  Consensus 1975, 1979; Revised 1995, Amended 2009

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the following goals:

Water resource management should ensure:

• The sustainability and long term productivity of water resources of the state and their future availability at reasonable costs. Reasonable cost is defined as costs that fairly and accurately reflect the value of this precious resource.
• The equitable utilization of water resources.
• Conservation of water resources.
• Prevention of harmful contamination of our surface and groundwater supplies from all sources.
• Coordination at all levels of government (federal, state and local) in planning for and managing water resources.
• Availability of detailed information on all groundwater withdrawal and hydraulic characteristics of aquifers.
• Energy consideration to be included as part of any water management plan.
• Public participation at all levels of water resource management planning. Arizona water laws should:
• Reflect the hydrologic cycle and treat all water as interrelated.
• Recognize and provide for physical differences between various areas of the state.
• Define and quantify ground and surface rights.
• Consider priority of use and coordination of planning for water and land if water rights are transferred.
• Recognize riparian habitats as beneficial use.
• Assure that riparian habitats and in stream flows are protected when any new water rights are granted, or when there are water exchanges or changed uses.
• Clarify and strengthen in stream flow rights.
• Provide for incentives for stream/habitat restoration.
• Provide authority to:
• Monitor water use;
• Limit non-beneficial or wasteful use;
• Limit new water uses in areas of long-term shortages;
• Decide which users should have priorities in times of shortages.

The administration of the above should be determined at the state level, with emphasis on implementation and enforcement at the local or regional level.

Require conservation of water by large individual users, such as large industries and agricultural entities, and encourage conservation by all other users. Tax incentives should be utilized.