San Simon Regional Model
Initiation of Procedures to Designate an Irrigation Non-Expansion Area for the San Simon Valley Sub-basin
Update: Effective October 9, 2015, the Director’s decision of August 12, 2015 (“Decision”) that the San Simon Valley Sub-basin of the Safford Groundwater Basin should not be designated as a subsequent Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (“INA”) is final and the temporary prohibition on the irrigation of new acres within the sub-basin pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-434 is lifted.
On September 25, 2015, the Department received a Motion For Rehearing or Review of the Director’s Decision. The Director denied the Motion for Rehearing or Review on October 9, 2015. The Director’s Decision And Order Denying the Motion For Rehearing or Review.
As provided in A.R.S. § 45-114(C)(1), the Director’s Decision is now final for purposes of judicial review. As provided in A.R.S. § 12-904(A), “an action to review a final administrative decision shall be commenced by filing a notice of appeal within thirty-five days from the date when a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed is served upon the party affected.”
Director's decision
On August 12, 2015, the Director issued findings and a decision that the San Simon Valley Sub-basin of the Safford Basin shall not be designated as an irrigation non-expansion area. The Director’s Findings, Decision, and Order. A notice of the Director’s findings and decision was published in both the Arizona Range News and Eastern Arizona Courier on August 19, 2015, and August 26, 2015.
The Department will provide written notice of the date that the Director’s decision becomes final to all persons who attended the May 16, 2015 public hearing, to all persons who submitted written comments on the proposed INA in the San Simon Valley Sub-basin, and to all landowners within the San Simon Valley Sub-basin of county record. In addition, the Department will post notice of the date that the Director’s decision becomes final on the Department’s website for at least sixty days after the decision becomes final.
Copies of the Directors Findings, Decision and Order will be made available upon request to the following:
Michelle Moreno, Public Information Officer
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 602-771-8530
Sharon Scantlebury, Docket Supervisor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 602-771-8472
The Arizona Department of Water Resources received a petition for the Initiation of Procedures to Designate an Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA) for the San Simon Valley Sub-basin. Pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-432, the Director can designate a Subsequent INA if specific criteria have been met. Frequently asked questions and answers regarding INAs. A PDF version is available.
The Department evaluated the petition to designate an INA in the San Simon Valley Sub-Basin and determined that the petition is signed by at least one-fourth of the irrigation users of groundwater within the groundwater sub-basin. Description of the Department’s process for making this determination. Because the petition meets the signature requirements of Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 45-433(A)(1), the Department published a Notice of Initiation of Designation Procedures and a Notice of Public Hearing in both the Willcox Range News and Eastern Arizona Courier newspapers on March 18, 2015, and March 25, 2015. Here is a copy of that notice.
On the date of the first publication of the Department’s notice, March 18, 2015, a temporary prohibition on the irrigation of new acres within the proposed INA became effective. Pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-434, effective March 18, 2015, only those lands irrigated in the five years preceding that date may be irrigated. “Irrigate” 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. A.R.S. § 45-402. (Note that the new application of water to gardens, orchards or vineyards less than two acres in size is not prohibited, provided that groups of such fields are not managed as a single farming unit.) This temporary prohibition remains in effect until the Director of the Department makes a final determination on the proposed INA.
A public hearing concerning whether to designate an INA within the San Simon Valley Sub-basin was held at the Bowie High School in Bowie, Arizona, on Saturday, May 16, 2015. A transcript from that hearing is available.
To obtain a copy of the certified transcript please contact:
UNITED COURT REPORTERS, INC.
Court Reporting Service
P.O. Box 17507 Tucson, Arizona 85731
(520) 792-2600 or (800) 759-9075
[email protected]
Uncertified copy of the transcript.
At the hearing of May 16, 2015, the Department announced that it will keep the hearing period open until June 5, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. for the submission of written comments and evidence. The Department further extended the comment period until July 17, 2015, so that the Department may present and the public may provide comment on: (1) finalized water level data for the San Simon Valley sub-basin and (2) a numerical groundwater model for the San Simon Valley sub-basin. View comments received during the open comment period (as of July 23, 2015).
Within 30 days after the close of the public hearing period, the Director of the Department will issue findings regarding the matters considered during the hearing. If the Director decides to designate an INA, he will issue an order of designation. If the Director designates an INA, the prohibition on irrigation of new acres within the San Simon Valley Sub-basin (with certain limited exceptions) would remain in effect permanently. If the Director decides not to designate an INA, the prohibition on the irrigation of new acres within the sub-basin will be lifted.
Petition and Supporting Documentation
San Simon Valley Sub-basin Groundwater Flow Model
ADWR has completed a regional-scale numerical groundwater flow model of the San Simon Valley Sub-basin using the widely accepted U.S. Geological survey (USGS) MODFLOW computer program. Here is the technical memorandum describing the model objectives, design, inputs, calibration, and projection results.
Modeling input files and model grid GIS shapefiles: San Simon Input Files | San Simon Grid GIS Shape Files
The model was used to project groundwater conditions that would exist after 100 years of pumping at current rates of withdrawal calculated using USGS crop survey and water use data. The results of this projection are summarized in the table below for agricultural areas with deep wells that mainly produce water from the lower aquifer. Because portions of the upper aquifer are projected to de-water by 2115, only lower aquifer projections are provided. Model projections using current rates of withdrawal indicate that a minimum of approximately 400 feet, and as much as several thousand feet, of saturated thickness would remain in the lower aquifer in 2115 for agricultural areas of the sub-basin.
Projected Depth to Water for Deep Agricultural Wells in the San Simon Valley Sub-basin in 2115
Sub-basin Areas |
Deep Agricultural Well Count |
Min. Depth to Water (Feet BLS*) |
Max. Depth to Water (Feet BLS) |
Mean Depth to Water (Feet BLS) |
Median Depth to Water (Feet BLS) |
| Bowie Area | 44 | 149 | 622 | 388 | 408 |
| San Simon Area | 36 | 144 | 441 | 316 | 312 |
| Northeast of Portal | 6 | 292 | 385 | 339 | 341 |
| Near Rodeo | 4 | 266 | 370 | 297 | 276 |
* BLS = Below Land Surface
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Statistics Are For Deep Agricultural Wells That Were Measured in 2015. (Well Depth greater than or equal to 400 feet BLS)
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Projected Depth-to-Water in 2115 = (2015 Measured Depth-to-Water) + 2015-2115 Projected Lower Aquifer Drawdown
Final Water Level Data for the San Simon Valley Sub-basin
Information Presented During the May 16, 2015 Public Hearing
Presentation made by ADWR:
Hydrology and Water Use Data of the San Simon Valley Sub-Basin - Presentation
Presentations provided by the public during the public comment period:
Mason Bolitho - Presentation
Sy Ray - Presentation
Larry Romney - Presentation
Additional Information
Preliminary Water Level Data Collected in the San Simon Valley Sub-basin - PDF or Excel file.
INA Frequently Asked Questions.
The Department has received requests for a list of previous hydrologic studies completed in the San Simon Valley Sub-basin. ADWR Open-File Report 12 “Evaluation of Available Scientific Data Related to the Possible Delineation of a Bowie Sub-Basin of the Safford Groundwater Basin," which has an extensive list of references.
Information on Substantial Capital Investment
Provided below are examples of documentation previously used by ADWR to make determinations on applications for the consideration of substantial capital investment in granting a Notice of Groundwater Authority ("60") in an INA or Certificate of Grandfathered Groundwater Right ("78") in an AMA. These examples are being provided for informational purposes only.