On January 31, 2019, Governor Ducey signed Executive Order 2019-02, stating in part, "...it is important for the work of the Governor's Water Initiative to be continued and expanded upon through the creation of a new Council with a long-term focus on water augmentation, innovation, and conservation; and given the importance of sustainable water supplies to Arizona and policy decisions that must be made, members of the Arizona Legislature should serve on the Council in addition to individuals appointed by the Governor..." Executive Order 2019-02 superseded and rescinded Executive Order 2015-13 which formed the Governor's Water Augmentation Council and established the Planning Area Process.  

Executive Order 2015-13 created the Governor's Water Augmentation Council (GWAC) and Planning Area Process. The GWAC met quarterly from February 2016 to January 2018. In the fall of 2016, four committees were created: Desalination, Recycled Water, Long-Term Water Augmentation, and Finance. The Planning Area Process meetings were a series of public meetings held in the Cochise, Northwest Basins, and West Basins Planning Areas. The meetings occurred between January 2016 and May 2017.