The ADWR established the Assured Water Supply (AWS) Program that is in effect within
Arizona’s five AMAs. It is designed to sustain the state’s economic health by preserving
groundwater resources and promoting long‐term water supply planning. Active
Management Areas are those areas of the state where significant groundwater depletion
has occurred historically and includes portions of Pinal County. In order to obtain an
AWS determination from the ADWR a developer or water provider must demonstrate the
following.
Physical water availability – demonstrate water availability per specific
requirements found in the Arizona Administrative Code.
Continuous water availability – water providers or developers must
demonstrate that the water supply is uninterruptible for the 100‐year period.
Legal water availability – demonstrate legal rights to all identified water
supplies.
Water quality – proposed sources of water must satisfy existing state water
quality standards.
Financial capability – demonstrate financial capability to construct the water
delivery system and any storage or treatment facilities.
Consistency with the management plan – demonstrate water conservation
requirements for municipal water providers.
Consistency with the management goal – demonstrate consistency with the
management goals of the applicable AMA.
As outlined in the 2015 Pinal County Comprehensive Plan, Pinal County encompasses six
groundwater basins, three of which are designated as AMAs. The three AMAs are
Phoenix AMA, Tucson AMA, and Pinal AMA.
The Pinal AMA is the largest in size and includes the Town of Florence in the northwest
corner of the AMA. The Town of Florence provides FMR with a portion of its potable
water supply. The AMAs have specific water management objectives and the regulatory
framework for the Pinal AMA provides a management goal that allows development of
non‐irrigation uses while preserving existing agricultural activities in the region for as long
as possible, subject to the need to preserve future water supplies for non‐irrigation uses.
Both surface water, from the Gila and Colorado Rivers, and groundwater are used for
irrigation, which is the largest water use in the Pinal AMA. Groundwater is the primary
source for municipal and domestic supply. Current challenges in the Pinal AMA as
identified by the ADWR are as follows.
Background Report
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