A PDF version of this letter can be found here.
May 7, 2024
Honorable Governor Katie Hobbs
Members of the Legislature
1700 W. Washington St. Arizona State Capitol Complex
Phoenix, AZ 85007
RE: Let’s Find Workable Groundwater Solutions for Rural Arizona
Dear Governor Hobbs and Members of the Legislature,
We are all residents of the Willcox Basin or neighbors within Cochise County who depend on the groundwater here to sustain our lives and our homes. We write to ask you to address the serious groundwater challenges we face here by first disposing of Senate Bill 1221, an unworkable and unreasonable “non-solution”, a proposal that would actually be a hindrance to resolving our dire groundwater challenges in Cochise County.
The Willcox groundwater basin is the “poster child” for Arizona’s rural groundwater crisis, with an overdraft of more than 3 times the natural recharge as identified in a recent Arizona Department of Water Resources Supply and Demand Study. As of 2018, the average depth to water has dropped below the average well depth – resulting in tremendous hardship for many rural residents.
Some homeowners might be able to afford to deepen their wells at significant cost. But for others, the money has run out. Many now have to haul water to their homes at a much higher monthly expense. Many have lost property value and we have watched friends move away because they lost their water supply. All of this comes from extreme, unfettered over-pumping without any groundwater protections to speak of.
For years, we have pleaded for meaningful groundwater tools that protect our property while supplying water for responsible agricultural growers in our community. Legislators from both parties have introduced workable bills throughout the years. And yet, those bills were never heard in committee. Instead, we are here today because of a different bill–SB1221–a bill that is not supported by rural Arizonans because it will not help folks like us in the Willcox Basin and other rural basins with high overdrafts. Instead it dooms us to continued depletion of our only water source.
The bill is littered with policy, substance and implementation issues. Here are just a few of those problems:
1. The requirements to create a Basin Management Area (BMA) include unreasonable hydrological thresholds, an ambiguous cost benefit analysis, and unanimous Board of Supervisors votes that are likely to block any rural groundwater basin from actually creating a BMA. In the case of the Willcox Basin the Boards of Supervisors from both Cochise and Graham Counties would both have to approve a BMA with unanimous votes..
2. A BMA establishes a certificate of water rights for current users coupled with a system of water debits and credits with no metering requirements or public disclosure – a sure recipe for fraud and abuse. To make matters worse these water credits can be sold to the highest bidder potentially exposing our community to an even greater risk of groundwater speculation.
3. SB1221 does nothing to ensure that new and replacement well locations do not harm other users or harm the aquifer.
4. The only opportunity to actually reduce the groundwater overdraft in a BMA is through the establishment of an Active Basin Management Area but this step could only happen in the Willcox Basin after unanimous votes from the Boards of Supervisors from both Cochise and Graham Counties followed by an election of eligible voters. Even in the unlikely case where an Active Basin Management Area is created, SB1221 requires any groundwater management decisions, including reductions in groundwater pumping, be approved through unanimous agreement of the five member Active BMA Council. The unanimous vote requirement is likely to result in little or no meaningful action.
5. SB1221 would give outsiders a veto over decisions in Active Basin Management Councils by requiring unanimous votes and letting irrigation districts outside of the Willcox Basin appoint council members. An outside irrigation district is not appropriate to be the decider of our water future.
6. SB1221 requires that any required reductions in groundwater pumping be capped at 10% over the lifetime of the BMA. In the Willcox Basin, the average depth to water is already greater than the average well depth. A 10% reduction will not even move the needle on our overdraft.
7. Addressing the current overdraft here will take a sustained long term effort over many decades but SB1221 would make a long term steady and sustained plan nearly impossible to implement. Under the bill an active BMA would be terminated after 10 years unless the Active BMA Council votes unanimously to call another election and voters approve the continuation. If continuation is not approved, any required irrigation reductions will be terminated and likely the overdraft only gets worse.
It’s frustrating that such a flawed proposal as SB1221 continues to move through the legislative process when other more reasonable proposals have never been granted a hearing over the past four years. We believe that SB1221 is such a problematic piece of legislation that it needs to be stopped or vetoed and that a serious dialogue toward a better solution must move forward.
It is time for our political leaders to set aside partisan differences, come together, and address the serious groundwater challenges across rural Arizona. The need is urgent – our water future depends on your actions today!
Respectfully submitted by the following 176 Willcox Basin Residents and 37 Cochise County neighbors,
Steve Kisiel, Pearce,AZ
Lucia Kisiel, Pearce, AZ
Sandy Fino, Pearce, AZ
Robert Fino, Pearce, AZ
Teresa Weisser, Willcox,AZ
Michael Weisser, Willcox, AZ
Mark Jorve, Willcox, AZ
Rhona MacMillan, Willcox, AZ
Deborah Hawk, Cochise, AZ
John Graffio, Pearce, AZ
Edward Clutter, Pearce, AZ
Kay Clutter, Pearce, AZ
Chris Brinkmeyer, Willcox, AZ
Victoria Brand, Pearce, AZ
Jeffrey Brand, Pearce, AZ
Gerald A. Beckwith, Pearce, AZ
James A. Verner, Pearce, AZ
Maria Rosa Andrade Torres Verner, Pearce, AZ
Cheryl Knott, Pearce, AZ
Karen Bogner, Pearce, AZ
Andrew Lang, Pearce, AZ
Katherine Brown, Cochise, AZ
Terrence Kleber, Pearce, AZ
Dianne Kleber, Pearce, AZ
Debra Warner, Pearce, AZ
Jessica Jones, Pearce, AZ
Lynn Engstrom, Cochise, AZ
Moira Hagerlin, Pearce, AZ
Vince Hagerlin, Pearce, AZ
Lisa Glenn, Willcox, AZ
Lloyd Glenn, Willcox, AZ
Mark LeVine, Willcox, AZ
Laurette LeVine, Willcox, AZ
Tracy Caras, Dragoon, AZ
Pete Caras, Dragoon, AZ
Anneke Mayer, Dragoon, AZ
Lowell Neff, Dragoon, AZ
Marc Boutte, Dragoon, AZ
Ron Wendelin, Dragoon, AZ
Becky Heckman, Dragoon, AZ
Greg Freeman, Pearce, AZ
John Arbuthnot, Willcox, AZ
Ellen Cohen, Dragoon, AZ
Mike Hensley, Dragoon, AZ
Sharon K. Arthur, Pearce, AZ
Dave Buchanan, Pearce, AZ
Donna Schmelzla, Willcox, AZ
Irbie Wylie, Cochise, AZ
Ekan Thomason, Dragoon, AZ
Gary Frank Brown, Pearce, AZ
Donna Fields Brown, Pearce, AZ
Kathryn Maddox, Pearce, AZ
Angela Goodacre, Dragoon, AZ
John Miller, Dragoon, AZ
Paul Runner, Pearce, AZ
Kathy Shopa, Willcox, AZ
Michael Shopa, Willcox, AZ
Eric Kaldahl, Dragoon, AZ
Tricia Messinger, Cochise, AZ
Eric L. Messinger, Cochise, AZ
Gary Sands, Dragoon, AZ
Sherry Sands, Dragoon, AZ
Fred W. Skillman, Cochise, AZ
Carol M. Skillman, Cochise, AZ
Robin Peterson, Pearce, AZ
Jessica Dilworth, Pearce, AZ
Elaine Santo, Pearce, AZ
Glenn Klingler, Cochise, AZ
Martha Klingler, Cochise, AZ
Denise Greene, Pearce, AZ
Gayle Colopy, Pearce, AZ
Karen Sartain, Pearce, AZ
Jeff Sartain, Pearce, AZ
Lou Manuta, Pearce, AZ
Janet Manuta, Pearce, AZ
James E. Syme, Pearce, AZ
Cindi Mapes, Pearce, AZ
Mary Ford, Dragoon, AZ
Stuart Carter, Willcox, AZ
Sarah K. Carter, Willcox, AZ
Dave Middleton, Pearce, AZ
Deanna Pihl, Pearce, AZ
Mark Spencer, Pearce, AZ
Stefanie Spencer, Pearce, AZ
Judy Bernard, Pearce, AZ
Jeff Bernard, Pearce, AZ
Tom Spierings, Pearce, AZ
Angela Rossman, Pearce, AZ
Damon Bostrom, Pearce, AZ
Dan Clark, Dragoon, AZ
Mary Alice Clark, Dragoon, AZ
Jeanie Mudd, Pearce, AZ
Joanna Seeley, Pearce, AZ
Gregor Caughey, Pearce, AZ
Megan Gesell, Cochise, AZ
Scott Gesell, Cochise, AZ
Aimee Myers, Pearce, AZ
Melinda Kate Brooks, Willcox, AZ
Jim Domini, Dragoon, AZ
Johnny Fleischman, Cochise, AZ
Michael J. Drougas, Pearce, AZ
Susan Drougas, Pearce, AZ
Justin Horn, Pearce, AZ
Danielle Horn, Pearce, AZ
Jeff Owens, Dragoon, AZ
Michael T. Buck, Cochise, AZ
Kaylene, Buck, Cochise, AZ
Tammy Stansberry, Willcox, AZ
Jessica Helene Stanley, Cochise, AZ
William James McElroy, Cochise, AZ
Joanne Wiener, Cochise, AZ
Timothy G. Austin, Cochise, AZ
Berta Margarita Acosta, Cochise, AZ
Patty Sacco, Pearce, AZ
Dan Sacco, Pearce, AZ
Sam Klein, Pearce, AZ
Caila Block, Peace, AZ
Michael Nelson, Willcox, AZ
Carrie Jones, Pearce, AZ
Jason Jones, Pearce, AZ
Rona Baker, Pearce, AZ
Gary Baker, Pearce, AZ
Ioanna Dactu, Pearce, AZ
Stanford Collins, Pearce, AZ
Karla F. Nelson, Willcox, AZ
Leon R. Nelson, Willcox, AZ
Greg Stotts, Pearce, AZ
Claudia Lunden, Cochise, AZ
Joan Edelman, Willcox, AZ
Lisa Kramme, Willcox, AZ
Janet Randall, Willcox, AZ
Loren Herring, Willcox, AZ
Deborah Herring, Willcox, AZ
Melanie Lawrence, Cochise, AZ
James Zachary Jones, Pearce, AZ
Lora Chiehowsky, Pearce, AZ
Luke Zachary Jones Chiehowsky, Pearce, AZ
Robert B. Young, Pearce, AZ
Joni Nomides, Pearce, AZ
Alexis Nomides, Pearce, AZ
Mary Ford, Dragoon, AZ
Gary L. Taylor, Willcox, AZ
Robert Maxwell Jarrett, Willcox, AZ
Lenora M. Setterstedt-Jarrett, Willcox, AZ
Pat Vicario, Pearce, AZ
Jeanie Vicario, Pearce, AZ
JoAnne P. Richardson, Pearce, AZ
Kent Andrew Shaver, Willcox, AZ
Nora Jean Shaver, Willcox, AZ
Shannon Brown, Willcox, AZ
Johna Ward, Pearce, AZ
Traci Page, Pearce, AZ
Robert W. Weston, Cochise, AZ
Judith P. Weston, Cochise, AZ
Janna Clark, Pearce, AZ
Carol J. Lukensmeyer, Pearce, AZ
Tina M. Samples-Ewer, Dragoon, AZ
Karen Weilacher, Cochise, AZ
Sharon Hill, Willcox, AZ
Michael Hubbard, Willcox, AZ
Kari Daniels, Pearce, AZ
Kay Nelson, Willcox, AZ
Glenna Brooks, Willcox, AZ
Jeff Haozous, Cochise, AZ
Susan Houser, Cochise, AZ
James A. Kelley, Cochise, AZ
Jody Telfair Richards, Pearce, AZ
Janice E. Henning, Pearce, AZ
Carol Osgrove, Pearce, AZ
William Bates, Willcox, AZ
Vance Williams, Pearce, AZ
Billie Jo Cross, Pearce, AZ
Joy Jaqua, Pearce, AZ
Maria P. Taylor, Willcox, AZ
Mary Jo Riley, Cochise, AZ
Jeff Riley, Cochise, AZ
Cochise County Neighbors Supporting the Willcox Basin
Harry Wolters, Bisbee, AZ
Michael Gregory, McNeal, AZ
Steve Helffrich, Douglas, AZ
Alice Hamers, McNeal, AZ
Allison Morse, Portal, AZ
Dirk Sigler, Portal, AZ
Joy Banks, Huachuca City, AZ
Summer Walter, Benson, AZ
Lynn Gray, McNeal, AZ
Jerome Gray, McNeal, AZ
David Ivan Clark, Douglas, AZ
Hunter Mann, Douglas, AZ
Diana LaMar, Douglas, AZ
M. Barbara Batey, McNeal, AZ
Andrew Walter, Benson, AZ
Jim Liston, Benson, AZ
Kris Liston, Benson, AZ
Jeanette L. Reeves, Benson, AZ
Terry L. Reeves, Benson, AZ
Tricia Gerrodette, Sierra Vista, AZ
Mieko Hara Brown, Douglas, AZ
Waweise Schmidt, Douglas, AZ