Phoenix at night
Active Management Area

Water Management Assistance Program

The Water Management Assistance Program (WMAP) is intended to provide financial and technical resources to assist water users in the development and implementation of conservation programs, facilitate augmentation and renewable water supply utilization, and obtain information on hydrologic conditions and water availability in an Active Management Area (AMA). 
 
The WMAP is funded primarily from groundwater withdrawal fees collected from each person or entity withdrawing groundwater in an AMA from a non-exempt well (A.R.S. § 45-611 (C)). Withdrawal fees are authorized by the 1980 Groundwater Code (Code) and are levied based on the acre-foot volume of groundwater withdrawn on an annual basis. The groundwater withdrawal fee rate for augmentation of the water supply, conservation assistance to water users within the AMA and monitoring and assessing water availability within the AMA is set annually by the Director with input from the AMA Groundwater Users Advisory Council (GUAC) and is limited to a maximum of two dollars per acre-foot per year. Programs funded by the WMAP help water users achieve efficient use of water supplies and help the AMA meet its water management goal.  
 
For additional information on assistance programs and funding opportunities, please review:

WMAP Dashboard

WMAP Funding Application

The WMAP accepts applications year-round. To apply for funding for a water management program or project, follow the application process to see if the program or project is eligible. Follow the steps below:

Read more about the WMAP guidelines in Chapter 9 of the Management Plan  of the AMA in which the project is proposed. If you have any questions about the WMAP process, please review the process flowchart.

Groundwater Conservation Grant

$2,000,000 was appropriated by SB1227 from the State General Fund to the WMAP fund for the purpose of providing grant monies for conservation of groundwater in the Active Management Areas.

The $2,000,000 will be divided among the five AMAs on a per-capita basis, with a minimum amount of $150,000 for AMAs with smaller populations: 

  • Phoenix AMA: $1,245,000
  • Tucson AMA: $305,000
  • Pinal AMA: $150,000
  • Prescott AMA: $150,000 
  • Santa Cruz AMA: $150,000

ADWR is no longer accepting applications. Details regarding the grant can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) including program objectives, award information, eligibility, grant details, application details, the timeline, and the review and selection criteria.  ADWR held a grant application workshop covering the application process. To view the recorded webinar, please click here. 

If you have any questions concerning the grant process, please contact the AMA Grant Coordinator. 

 

Final awarding decisions have been made and the projects that have been selected for funding are listed below. Note: remaining funding to be paid with withdrawal as per the recommendation of the GUAC members and approval of the ADWR Director. 

 

Phoenix AMA (total funding $1,277,355)
  1. University of Arizona - Arizona Project WET's Using Project-Based STEM Education to Enhance Groundwater Conservation in Maricopa County Schools for $195,855
  2. Maricopa Water District's Northern Avenue Lateral Surface Water Capacity Restoration for $251,500
  3. City of El Mirage's El Mirage Water Conservation Program for $150,000
  4. Gary Woodard - Water Resources Consulting's Water Efficiency Audits for HOA Common Areas and Other Irrigation Customers for $120,000
  5. Esser Design, L.L.C.'s Bringing the Groundwater System to Light through an Educational Outreach Campaign/Video Series Targeting Youth and Adults for $250,000
  6. EPCOR Water's Pecan to New Magma Reclaim Water Line for $250,000
  7. Arizona Water Company's Leak Detection Equipment Replacement Project for $60,000
Tucson AMA (total funding $305,000)
  1. City of Tucson's Expanding a Water Loss Control Program throughout Tucson Water's Distribution System for $249,908
  2. Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District's Automated Gate for Marana Road Canal for $30,092
  3. Town of Marana's Marana water Citizens' Water Academy for $25,000
Pinal AMA (total funding $150,000)
  1. University of Arizona - Arizona Project WET's Using Project-Based STEM Education to Enhance Groundwater Conservation in Pinal County Schools for $43,681
  2. Arizona Water Company's Leak Detection Equipment Replacement Project for $106,319
Prescott AMA (total funding $217,444)
  1. Town of Prescott Valley's Water Smart Customer Portal for $77,313
  2. Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition's Rainwater Harvesting for Aquifer Recharge for $65,131
  3. Arizona Department of Transportation's SR 89 Stormwater Recharge Pilot Project for $75,000
Santa Cruz AMA (total funding $161,938)
  1. City of Nogales' Water Conservation Education and Technology Project for $56,647
  2. Borderland Restoration Network's Groundwater Recharge on Working Lands to Local Youth to Enhance Ecosystem Services for $105,291

 

Applications are posted below.

Phoenix AMA

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to purchase SENSUS AMR/AMI equipment to strengthen their conservation efforts, improve their metering efficiencies, and create the platform needed to advance that infrastructure throughout their company. 

View the Application

Arizona State University (ASU) project to reduce total water use and improve their irrigation system efficiency. ASU Tempe campus is supplied by the City of Tempe, which sources its water through a combination of groundwater, Salt River Project (SRP) water, and from Central Arizona Project (CAP) water. 

View the Application

Esser Design, L.L.C. project that includes an educational video series that builds a foundational understanding of the groundwater system, dispels common misconceptions, and explores the intricacies of groundwater management and groundwater replenishment through the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District. View their application here.​

View the Application

Flood Control District of Maricopa County project to reduce landscape potable water use by 66%. 

View the Application

City of El Mirage project to develop a comprehensive water conservation program that will allow staff to provide education and resources to residents offering ways to reduce their water consumption and potential cost savings in addition to increased monitoring through new technologies. 

View the Application

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to identify areas of aging infrastructure, collect real time information on needed repairs and replacements in the field, collect well pumping data, and to analyze the success of the leak detection and repair program on lowering overall groundwater pumping. 

View the Application

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to purchase new leak detection equipment to replace its current equipment. This project is intended to be leveraged with the ESRI ArcGIS Field Rollout Project. The two projects work would together to provide comprehensive leak detection programs for AWC water systems. 

View the Application

Gary Woodard - Water Resources Consulting project to target facilities and schedule audits in order to encourage participating water utilities to offer financial incentives covering all or part of the cost of recommended upgrades. View their application here. 

View the Application

Maricopa Water District (MWD) project to make improvements to aging delivery infrastructure to enable a fuller utilization of surface water supply and reduce groundwater use. 

View the Application

EPCOR Water project to provide the New Magma Irrigation and Drainage District (NMIDD) with Colorado River water to offset groundwater pumping on a gallon-for-gallon basis by directing the reclaimed supply to NMIDD's Groundwater Savings Facility (GSF). 

View the Application

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to replace outdated and obsolete butterfly isolation valves. The current transmission main was constructed in the mid 1970s and operates at pressures up to 850psi. 

View the Application

University of Arizona's Arizona Project WET project to develop and deliver a new educational curriculum combining a thorough understanding of the groundwater system with opportunities to conserve tangible groundwater resources at schools within the Phoenix AMA over a 4-year time frame.

View the Application

Gary Woodard - Water Resources Consulting project to target customers with suspected leaks and/or scheduling problems will be identified and offered audits, with a priority given to HOAs. 

View the Application
Tucson AMA

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to purchase SENSUS AMR/AMI equipment to strengthen their conservation efforts, improve their metering efficiencies, and create the platform needed to advance that infrastructure throughout their company. 

View the Application

Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District (CMID) and its agent Cortaro Water Users Association project to install an automated gate that will automatically adjust to keep a preset amount of water flowing down the Marana Road canal. The gate will be connected to SCADA and will be able to change the settings and monitor the flow at the office or via mobile saving water and operator time. 

View the Application

City of Tucson project to implement a lost and unaccounted for water program that focuses primarily on leaks, breaks, metering replacement, data gathering. and reporting to meet regulatory requirements. 

View the Application

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to purchase new leak detection equipment to replace its current equipment. 

View the Application

Town of Marana project to develop a conservation program that will be aimed at informing customers of their current use and providing interventions to reduce water use. 

View the Application

Avra Water Co-op project to replace old MXUs (Meter Transceiver Units) with more efficient, up to date MXUs, in hopes that reading meters will be faster, cutting read time in half, and allowing them to read bi-weekly, and eventually weekly, specifically to catch leaks. 

View the Application

Watershed Management Group project to engage groundwater users in this area to reduce their groundwater use through indoor efficiencies and outdoor conservation practices. 

View the Application

Gary Woodard - Water Resources Consulting project to target customers with suspected leaks and/or scheduling problems will be identified and offered audits, with a priority given to HOAs. 

View the Application
Pinal AMA

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to purchase SENSUS AMR/AMI equipment to strengthen their conservation efforts, improve their metering efficiencies, and create the platform needed to advance that infrastructure throughout their company. 

View the Application

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to identify areas of aging infrastructure, collect real time information on needed repairs and replacements in the field, collect well pumping data, and to analyze the success of the leak detection and repair program on lowering overall groundwater pumping. 

View the Application

Arizona Water Company (AWC) project to purchase new leak detection equipment to replace its current equipment. This project is intended to be leveraged with the ESRI ArcGIS Field Rollout Project. The two projects work would together to provide comprehensive leak detection programs for AWC water systems.

View the Application

Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District (MSIDD) project that involves SCADA upgrades and improved flow measurement. 

View the Application

University of Arizona's Arizona Project WET project to develop and deliver a new educational curriculum combining a thorough understanding of the groundwater system with opportunities to conserve tangible groundwater resources at schools within the Pinal AMA over a 4-year time frame. 

View the Application
Prescott AMA

Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition (UVRWPC) project to capture and recharge rainwater to offset aquifer overdraft caused by pumping. 

View the Application

Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) project to launch a pilot study that will examine the feasibility of connecting a series of existing stormwater detention basins that collect stormwater flow from SR 89 in the town of Chino Valley and divert that water directly to the sub-surface above the aquifer through dry wells. 

View the Application

Chino Valley Unified School District #51 (CVUSD51) project to develop a site plan to reduce water use, increase stormwater recharge, and educate the community in holistic water management. 

View the Application

Town of Prescott Valley project to develop "Water Smart" computer software to provide real-time leak alerts and connect water customers to their current and historic water use record and save an estimated 48 million gallons of water per year. 

View the Application
Santa Cruz AMA

Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) project designed to complete BRN's previous work in the area and stabilize the riparian headwaters of T4 Ranch, to stabilize the main drainages within this watershed, and to return vegetative cover to the watershed for the benefit of the landscape. 

View the Application

City of Nogales project to develop water conservation education and technology project to reduce water consumption and education water customers. 

View the Application

Recent Programs and Projects

 

Phoenix AMA
Arizona Project WET (APW)

APW develops water stewardship and STEM literacy by providing teacher professional development that evolves instructional practice and deepens content knowledge, direct student outreach that delivers or extends classroom learning, and community engagement.

M36 Water Loss Technical Assistance Program

This program trains and assists its member water utilities in conducting water audits of their potable water distribution systems based on the American Water Works Association (AWWA) manual, M36 Water Audits and Loss Control Programs, Fourth Edition,  through a top-down approach.

Residential Water Use

This study tracks water use in single family homes in the city of Phoenix.

Smartscape

Smartscape is a comprehensive training program that instructs landscape and irrigation professionals in the fundamentals of design, installation, irrigation, and maintenance of desert-adapted landscapes.

Water Conservation Management Program (WCMP)

It is the WCMP's and the East Maricopa Natural Resource Conservation Districts's (EMNRCD) goal to provide technical irrigation services to as many producers as possible through the use of a mobile irrigation lab to assist farmers with on-site irrigation technical assistance.

Water-Use It Wisely (WUIW)

Launched in 1999, WUIW's goal is to promote an ongoing water conservation ethic among Arizona’s rapidly growing population.

Xeriscape Garden

This program demonstrates proper Xeriscape principles for residents and commercial properties in the city of Surprise, as well as showcase innovative water conservation techniques such as commercial cooling structure condensate capture.

Tucson AMA
Arizona Project WET (APW)

APW develops water stewardship and STEM literacy by providing teacher professional development that evolves instructional practice and deepens content knowledge, direct student outreach that delivers or extends classroom learning, and community engagement.

Cortaro Marana Irrigation District Supervisory control and Data Acquisition (CMID SCADA)

This project is for the installation of the SCADA system on 6 wells owned by CMID. It will allow remote access to these wells to allow starting and stopping of these wells without being on site and will also allow for off-site monitoring of the wells and will send an alarm if there are any problems with the wells. It will ultimately result in water and energy savings which will be tracked by the district.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Aquifer-Storage Change and Land-Surface Elevation Change Monitoring

USGS began this cooperative study with Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement District and the town of Oro Valley in 1996 to monitor aquifer-storage change in the Lower Canada del Oro sub-basin. In 1998, the USGS began a cooperative study with the ADWR, Pima County, and the City of Tucson to monitor land-surface elevation change and aquifer-storage change. In 2003, the studies combined and the town of Marana joined the study.

Pinal AMA
Irrigation Management Service (IMS)

This program funds the operation of a mobile irrigation lab to assist farmers with on-site irrigation technical assistance with the goal to provide technical irrigation services to as many producers as possible.

Natural Resource Education Center (NREC)

The NREC develops and implements an environmental education program that is conducted in a balanced manner, based on current scientific information, and includes a discussion of economic and social implications.

Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority (PCWAA)

The PCWAA serves as a resource and partner for the development and augmentation of water resources for the benefit of all users and supports the development of responsible, collaborative, and sustainable water planning and management in the AMA.

Prescott AMA
4MP Outreach Brochure

This brochure details the Prescott AMA 4th Management Plan and water use within the AMA.

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) 

The purpose of this project is to design, construct, and scientifically evaluate a rainwater harvesting system that recharges the aquifer rather than attempting to hold water in a storage tank in the town of Prescott Valley.

Ephemeral Stream Monitoring

The program is intended to provide support to install stream gages to better understand the relationship between ephemeral stream flow and aquifer recharge in the town of Prescott Valley and the AMA.

Santa Cruz AMA
Water Resources and Climate Assessment Tool (WARCAT)

The objective of this website is to be a one-stop portal designed to serve pertinent and timely information with respect to decision making for optimal water resources management and planning at the Santa Cruz Active Management Area (SCAMA). The portal provides an intuitive presentation of current relevant hydrological and meteorological datasets. The portal harmonizes regional database and provides a seasonal hydrologic and climate first order forecasts. The datasets are assembled in real-time from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, US Geological Survey, US National Weather Service, National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and the Santa Cruz County ALERT system.