Arizona Department of Water Resources

Protecting & enhancing Arizona’s water supplies for current and future generations.

Hualapai Valley INA Request

october 12, 2022 director's order initiating proceedings and order for public hearing

EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 12, 2022 – Pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-434, irrigation users may irrigate only those acres of land within the Proposed INA which were irrigated at any time during the five years preceding the first date of publication of this notice (October 12, 2022). This limitation on the acres which may be irrigated shall continue in effect until the Director makes a final determination on the Proposed INA. “Irrigate” is defined in A.R.S. § 45-402 and means to apply water to 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.

On September 20, 2022 the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) held a public meeting to present information and accept public comments on whether the Director of ADWR should initiate procedures to designate the Hualapai Valley Groundwater Basin as an Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA). Below is a map depicting the Hualapai Valley Groundwater Basin. Based upon hydrologic information and public comments received, the Director signed an Order to initiate procedures to designate the Hualapai Valley Groundwater Basin an INA on October 12, 2022. In the same Order the Director also ordered a Public Hearing to hear evidence both orally and written, as to the following:

A. Is there an insufficient groundwater supply to provide a reasonably safe supply for irrigation of the cultivated lands in the area at the
current rate of withdrawal? and,

B. Is the establishment of an active management area pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-412 not presently necessary? and,

C. Should the Department issue an Order, designating the area as depicted in Exhibit A, as a subsequent irrigation non-expansion area?

At the hearing, the Department will present the factual data in its possession in support of or in opposition to the proposed subsequent irrigation on-expansion area, pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-435(C).

Public Hearing Information

When: Saturday, November 12, 2022
Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Mohave County Administration Building
700 W. Beale Street
Kingman, Arizona 86401

Virtually: https://adwr.info/3VaOO4w

Any person or authorized representative may appear at the hearing and submit oral or documentary evidence for or against the proposed action. Additionally, written comments not submitted at the hearing described above may be submitted by mail, email, fax, or hand delivery until 5:00 P.M. on November 18, 2022 to:

Sharon Scantlebury
Docket Supervisor
Arizona Department of Water Resources
1110 W. Washington, Suite 310
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 771-8472 (phone)
(602) 771-8686 (fax)
[email protected]

Within 30 days after the close of the record for this proceeding, the Director will issue an Order containing his written findings with respect to all pertinent matters considered during the hearing. The record for this matter closed on November 18, 2022.

Order Initiating Proceedings

ADWR Public Hearing Presentation | Public Hearing WebEx Recording | Transcript

Comments received during Formal Public Hearing period

Questions and answers from the informal comment period

Mohave county board of supervisors request

On June 23, 2022, the Mohave County Board of Supervisors requested that the ADWR Director take “whatever actions available and necessary to designate the Hualapai Valley Groundwater Basin as a subsequent INA".

By letter dated June 24, 2022, the Director indicated that ADWR would review updated modeling and other relevant information, including current and projected drought conditions and receive public comments on whether to initiate designation procedures.

On September 20, 2022, ADWR held a public meeting to present information and receive comments regarding whether the Director should initiate procedures to designate the Hualapai Valley Groundwater Basin as an INA.

Written comments, not presented at the public meeting, may be submitted in person, by mail, email or by fax by 5:00 p.m. September 30, 2022. Written comments should be sent to:

The Arizona Department of Water Resources
Attn: Sharon Scantlebury
1110 W. Washington, Suite 310
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 602-771-8686

Provided below is information related to this request

June 23, 2022 Mohave County Board of Supervisors Request to Designate Hualapai Valley Groundwater Basin as an INA

WEL.dat files provided by Mohave County Board of Supervisors

June 24, 2022 ADWR Response

September 20, 2022 Public Meeting Presentation

September 20, 2022 Public Meeting Recording

Written Comments Received