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ADWR Dictionary

ADWR Dictionary

ADWR Dictionary

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Igneous rock

A rock formed by the crystallization of magma or lava. 

Impaired

A lake or stream that is not meeting one or more surface water quality standards as established in A.R.S. § 49-231

In-lieu water

Water that is delivered to a groundwater savings facility in an AMA or INA and that is used at the facility by the recipient on a gallon for gallon substitute basis for groundwater that otherwise would have been pumped from within the AMA or INA. 

Incidental recharge

The percolation of water to the water table after the water has been used. Components of incidental recharge include recharge that occurs from septic tanks, turf watering and effluent discharge. 

Index well

A well that is measured during specific periods or continuously monitored by automatic recorders.  These wells allow a lower density of representative monitoring to occur in the years between “sweeps”. 

Industrial demand

Water used by an industrial facility, such as a golf-course, dairy, feedlot, power plant, mine or paper mill, and that is served by the industrial facility’s well and not by a city, town or private water company. 

Inflow

All water that enters a hydrologic system. Examples include mountain front and stream channel recharge, artificial and incidental recharge and baseflow and underflow into a system.

Influent

Raw, untreated wastewater flowing into a wastewater treatment plant. 

InSAR

Synthetic Aperture Radar that is processed using Interferometry.

Instream flow right

A non-diversionary surface water right for recreation and wildlife purposes, including fish.

Intermittent lake

A lake that normally contains water for only a portion of the year or one that is only seasonally dry.

Intermittent stream

A stream or part of a stream that flows only at certain times of the year when it receives water from springs, snowmelt, surface run-off or other sources.

Interstate stream

Any stream constituting or flowing along the exterior boundaries of this state, and any tributary originating in another state or foreign country and flowing into or through this state. 

Irrigation district (ID)

A political subdivision established as a special taxing district for either agricultural improvement or irrigation and conservation purposes. 

Irrigation grandfathered right (IGFR)

A right to irrigate land in an active management area that was legally irrigated any time between 1975 and 1979, based on crops historically grown for which a certificate has been obtained. A few exceptions exist for substitution or transfer of acres under specified circumstances. The process for determining acreage and for calculating a groundwater allocation is specified in A.R.S. § 45-465. 

Irrigation non-expansion area (INA)

A geographic area that has been designated pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 45-431 or 45-432 as having insufficient groundwater to provide a reasonably safe supply for the irrigation of cultivated lands at the current rate of withdrawal. Within INA's, new agricultural use occurring on land that was not irrigated in the five years preceding the designation of the INA is prohibited with a few exceptions for substitution or transfer of acres under specified circumstances. 

Irrigation use

In an AMA, the use of groundwater on two or more acres of land to produce plants or parts of plants for sale or human consumption, or for use as feed for livestock, range livestock or poultry.  In the Santa Cruz AMA, this definition is expanded to include all water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well.  

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Arizona Department of Water Resources
1110 W Washington Street Suite 310
Phoenix, AZ 85007
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Phone: 602.771.8500 | Fax: 602.771.8689
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