[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6388619,"mediaKeyId","2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af","parentId",2113966,"title","Arizona conservation districts tell committee they coordinate local recharge, erosion control and post‑fire recovery statewide","audioSeconds",1063,"startMs",4337000,"endMs",5400000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af&start=4337&end=5400","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af/thumbnail_4337000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6388619/Arizona/Arizona-conservation-districts-tell-committee-they-coordinate-local-recharge-erosion-control-and-postfire-recovery-statewide","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6388619-0602f12b28eb59aa1c3d6799786fa4c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770748640&Signature=Ypj6U7l38AOsPfsQn2NxOyGM2lHOgvM3kC1-L20xGgBl9w91IYzkTtAM7oUB9qv2y~0hbBhhWy5UDzwdlVsovnaehRHEqgJ207zJ0Q5rMdlIFORJv2gpz6~oj5qvqDnrVV48BYN9UgxspjVlfwmybN~DrnNy0TB9FKAe8gbJtj2b0NZWsqSsDwa5jlAg8tguaBoJygg9xtVbeQQB0~LF1mLXvMhxBfY4TFD~sW0BHs8ImPiQlfH7b73Oppu1JSIz6bxetybeoTwNReBpYocutEt5ZIFEPfysYPH8N2lpcn5~11Z-GoP9vzcEp2keIHvwtAlwxN29YuqeU5RxGw8p-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arizona State Legislature","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","Derek Knight, treasurer of the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts and chairman of a local NRCD, told the House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee that 42 local conservation districts cover every inch of Arizona and coordinate local projects such as recharge basins, erosion control, brush management and post‑fire recovery.

Knight described conservation districts as statutorily authorized political subdivisions that use voluntary, cost‑share programs to deliver conservation practices and technical assistance. He listed funding and program partners that districts use to get work on the ground, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Bill programs, the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA), the Bureau of Land Management and various non‑profit partners.

Knight and members said conservation districts run local work groups that identify needs and priorities, organize education and field days, and administer on‑the‑ground projects ranging from grassland restoration to infrastructure replacement after wildfire. He provided examples of active projects and funding levels in multiple districts: Apache NRCD projects with about $11,000,000 in conservation funds active in that district; Tonto area projects totaling roughly $13,000,000; and other districts with multi‑million dollar activity. He said the districts also support smaller local recharge and flood‑detention projects that capture runoff and assist groundwater recharge.

Committee members noted that the Department of Water Resources and State Trust Lands had identified about 331 potential recharge sites statewide and that some existing detention basins, used historically for flood control, could be reclassified or maintained as recharge basins but require ongoing maintenance. Knight said districts pursue a wide range of funding sources and that implementations are typically voluntary and done through cost‑share arrangements or grants rather than enforcement.

Members discussed maintenance needs for projects in Wilcox and other areas; Knight and the chair noted that statutory authority, local partnerships and continued state support for upkeep are central to sustaining those benefits. Knight requested committee support for awareness and programs that help maintain and expand local recharge and restoration work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","01/14/2025 - House Natural Resources, Energy & Water","oneSentenceSummary","Derek Knight, treasurer of the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, told the House Natural Resources committee that 42 conservation districts cover the state and coordinate local projects including recharge basins, erosion control, brush management and post‑fire infrastructure replacement.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Arizona, Arizona","taxId",78572,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6388629,"Central Arizona Project officials brief committee on Colorado River shortages, CAGRD replenishment plan",760,425000,1185000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af&start=425&end=1185","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af/thumbnail_425000.jpg","/articles/6388629/Arizona/Central-Arizona-Project-officials-brief-committee-on-Colorado-River-shortages-CAGRD-replenishment-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6388629-2a6d120141d6914b5cc313099a450e1a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770748640&Signature=UF5029oMBrzDdn1JCMzCQQGT5fxgXjf9U7kq~K8vEFJ6Dw6CfkFv3JKzl5g5WCPI47b1sHGpf0jEEf7TIRJGRlB-WFd7xdXf1Mr~aYcpDyNXvz6q07RIskNQmCBRI9jHGV4rWN8qsIaEEyg-bV6AvzWjbunf06KSkVQRlwlSmkULjDhME06tjDLYiM~L-bgqgTCXwE1Z5HVARHfi5uHKk8HUnUGJurA1FevoDsAyhN2X9d84-d~HrmKOgzKJUpjNw~edHX8kkx5aPZ4FKQU9nDBqBTZZp0juRYRXXKfUC7lhtIcmww9~4Peuk4WNMVbF4Dc1Es0wdpjHCR1gJdnE5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Central Arizona Project General Manager Brenda Berman and board member Mark Taylor told the Arizona House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee that long‑term drought and climate change have shrunk Colorado River supplies and are forcing cuts in Central Arizona Project deliveries.

The briefing gave lawmakers an overview of CAP’s infrastructure and governance, explained how recent hydrology is affecting allocations, and described a new 10‑year plan the CAP submitted for the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for review.

Mark Taylor, a CAP board member representing Pima County, outlined the system’s size and purpose. “We’re bringing renewable water into Central Arizona,” he said, describing a roughly 336‑mile aqueduct system with tunnels, siphons and 14 pumping plants that historically delivered about 1,600,000 acre‑feet a year into central Arizona. He said the CAP serves municipalities, tribes and agricultural users in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties and estimated that the project supports about 6,000,000 people and much of the state’s economy.

Berman framed the presentation around Colorado River hydrology and operations. “Everything about Colorado River water law is complicated and layered,” she told the committee, and then reviewed systemwide storage and operational rules. She said long‑term natural flow averages are now lower than historic averages, reservoirs are far below earlier levels, and the basin is operating under guidelines that run through 2026.

Berman told members that Lake Mead and Lake Powell sit well below earlier levels—roughly a third full at Mead and somewhat higher at Powell—and that the lower Colorado River is currently governed by the 2007 interim guidelines and subsequent drought contingency work. She said Arizona will be subject to a Tier 1 shortage reduction in 2025 that requires leaving about 512,000 acre‑feet in the system, with agricultural deliveries reduced compared with earlier decades.

Committee members asked technical questions about why measured snowpack does not always translate into runoff and about evaporation losses from reservoirs and canals. Berman and Taylor said the causes are variable—soil moisture, timing of melt, increased evapotranspiration and climate change—and cautioned that large infrastructure solutions such as covering canals are expensive and not always economically feasible. “It is extremely expensive to put, say, solar panels over those canals,” Berman said, referencing studies CAP has reviewed.

Berman also described the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District, a CAP‑administered, statutorily created program that replenishes groundwater to meet assured‑water‑supply obligations for participating providers. She said CAP’s recent plan of operation for the CAGRD was submitted to the Department of Water Resources at the end of 2024 and asks regulators to evaluate long‑term supplies and participation over a 100‑year horizon.

Members asked whether the ag pool has been served recently; Berman said the ag pool last received direct deliveries in recent years (she cited 2022) and that agricultural deliveries have been reduced as the system has moved into shortage tiers and as cities and tribes have converted or reallocated some supplies. She said CAP continues to pursue mitigation and contractual arrangements with tribes and other entities to manage obligations.

The presentation closed with committee requests for printed materials; CAP agreed to provide hard copies and an electronic packet for members.

The session record includes a technical overview of CAP operations, the current Tier 1 shortage impacts, the submission of the CAGRD 10‑year plan to ADWR and staff answers to member questions about runoff, evaporation and replenishment logistics.","Central Arizona Project General Manager Brenda Berman and board member Mark Taylor told the Arizona House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee that long‑term drought and climate change have shrunk Colorado River supplies and are forcing cuts in Central Arizona Project deliveries.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6388615,"House Natural Resources committee adopts committee rules; sets amendment and roll‑call procedures",45,260000,305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af&start=260&end=305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af/thumbnail_260000.jpg","/articles/6388615/Arizona/House-Natural-Resources-committee-adopts-committee-rules-sets-amendment-and-rollcall-procedures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6388615-22b920efffd3be927f869b31f8fc596d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770748640&Signature=cOx-cYNYeAEDLM3IZI8AxDq-gOe3rvC5RGfM9eDsSQrR0YcYvRz5gr3pQzCPB0hPKEBZz05SGat1lRy4POBO9xv95M3xMccQb2kU3w4qlQG3TTaueVKm6tQ1P9LfV~1dJJFpLVIQo0QsH5Os~NhyQhFlv6bI-~lDEJI2IJWY67E-eLnetcK2SuvhuYmDYEn0LNNai7Cmm1mBDzOpnuB2PxN4KCuBUEmjBeWXAh93oiyt7Cvco1vA03mVFwYh0CSP~WDohSSMGK~irYeMsymy3NBevSY2Yo-MGsmYuWOpjm0eQPAY2uKBdUm6CzRQyCe-YqsQOVmwXa1wm76YToQS6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Arizona House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee adopted its committee rules by voice vote after a motion from Vice Chair Chris Lopez.

“Madam chair, I move that the Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee rules as printed and distributed be adopted,” Vice Chair Chris Lopez said. Research analyst Corbin Wright then reviewed the rules and procedural deadlines: general amendments are due by noon on the Monday before committee; strike‑everything amendments are due by 5 p.m. the Friday before committee; a request for a roll‑call vote requires two members; and verbal amendments are offered at the chair’s discretion but are ordinarily clearer if provided in writing in advance.

Wright told members the committee’s rules largely mirror House rules and that staff are available to assist members and to receive draft language ahead of the hearing to reduce technical errors and speed committee business. The chair called the question and the ayes carried on a voice vote.

The committee did not record a roll‑call tally for the motion; staff noted that members may request roll call if two members make that request.","The committee adopted its rules by voice vote. Committee staff reviewed deadlines for amendments and explained roll‑call and verbal‑amendment procedures to members.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6388624,"Salt River Project outlines Verde reservoir recovery, SRP–CAP interconnect and pumped storage plans",1656,2544000,4200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af&start=2544&end=4200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113966-a2661489db618af31ff1a14a345996af/thumbnail_2544000.jpg","/articles/6388624/Arizona/Salt-River-Project-outlines-Verde-reservoir-recovery-SRPCAP-interconnect-and-pumped-storage-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6388624-461facf5fc11fa398efb1cd2ed61b11e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770748640&Signature=YWhTpuTM8mOMD88OUotweeDbNsWG~beCoq5tP0nvKEIrwBlk6KHJU537QkGS80t2qGArTHbAa0X-3FlJ80UvwQPwEF~n33vtzB-0Gqd4PHTOQi0wwsZZGGw0Lv2jvMEQ2x8rQqNo~AmrdrQXT8eBvV57G3GsudNYJZwyR47habtv53OsvD3ZTISeDi4~~Psxi~9WIUfkCcMa3pYDQIYRk9U75d8SeEoahvJCrHCqjXxAX-Ho~~1TleUfhQhkpuAInVDvzixrqwCJW-bMSP9sn9F8EUxDdP6yZ3SV6CCnGac8rIuhSSlUN1gFwAMIAWvRl7Wu3rn2v2y5RIRQihjYcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Salt River Project officials told the Arizona House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee that SRP is pursuing three projects intended to strengthen regional water and energy resiliency: a Verde River sediment‑mitigation and potential reservoir‑raise feasibility study, an SRP–CAP interconnection facility funded in part by a federal grant, and a large pumped‑storage energy project paired with existing SRP reservoirs.

SRP Director of Water Strategy Kyle Tillman and project manager Joseph Gardner said the projects aim to recover lost storage, make better use of surface supplies and create energy storage to balance the grid.

Tillman told the committee that SRP has lost substantial storage at Horseshoe Reservoir since it was built: “We have lost about 40% of our storage capacity at Horseshoe Dam due to sediment,” he said, citing sedimentation measured in a 2012 survey as the most recent full survey. SRP and the Bureau of Reclamation completed a 30% design package and feasibility study options and will seek congressional approval and federal project authorization if the bureau’s environmental review supports construction.

Two of the Verde alternatives studied would raise Bartlett Dam by roughly 61 feet or 102 feet to recover storage capacity, SRP said. The agency described a multi‑partner feasibility effort: 23 nonfederal partners contributed funding or technical support to the Verde study. SRP said the bureau’s NEPA environmental review is expected to take about two years once it begins, and that final congressional and construction timelines could extend the project a decade or longer.

On the SRP–CAP interconnection, Tillman said the project would create a bidirectional exchange that lets entities use stored credits and move SRP‑stored water into or through the CAP system where currently physical access is limited. SRP said it applied for and received federal funding under a Lower Colorado River Basin conservation grant program enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act; Tillman said the project is slated to receive about $154,000,000 in federal funds to help build the interconnection. He told members the project is at roughly 30% design, SRP is coordinating operational and water‑quality modeling with CAP, and SRP expects the NEPA process to start in 2025 and to begin construction in 2027 with target operation in 2029 if approvals proceed on schedule.

Joseph Gardner described a Salt River pumped‑storage concept that would pair Apache Lake as a lower reservoir with a new upper reservoir to provide up to roughly 2,000 megawatts of energy storage. Gardner said the facility would use reversible pump‑turbine technology and exchange water between two reservoirs on a non‑consumptive basis; SRP estimates the new upper reservoir could hold about 20,000 acre‑feet and said operation would be targeted for the mid‑to‑late 2030s. He said pumped storage can respond in seconds and pairs well with carbon‑free generators.

Committee members asked whether raising a dam or enlarging storage could reduce downstream deliveries; Tillman said existing water‑rights and contractual obligations to downstream users would continue to be honored under the project alternatives and that SRP’s designs and accounting would preserve contracted deliveries.

Members also raised cost questions and timing. SRP said the Verde alternatives’ construction costs are not finalized; the agency will provide cost estimates as part of the NEPA and subsequent design documents. SRP said the Verde feasibility work and NEPA review could take 10–15 years from the current stage if congressional authorization and funding are required.

SRP officials said they would make design information available during the NEPA public process and encouraged stakeholder engagement through that federal review.","Salt River Project described three multi‑year projects to the House Natural Resources committee — a feasibility study to recover Verde River reservoir capacity, a funded SRP‑CAP interconnection to move stored water, and a pumped‑storage project for grid energy storage — and provided timelines and partnership details","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Arizona conservation districts tell committee they coordinate local recharge, erosion control and post‑fire recovery statewide

Central Arizona Project officials brief committee on Colorado River shortages, CAGRD replenishment plan

House Natural Resources committee adopts committee rules; sets amendment and roll‑call procedures

Salt River Project outlines Verde reservoir recovery, SRP–CAP interconnect and pumped storage plans