Current Rulemaking Initiatives
Notice of Proposed Expedited Rulemaking Docket Opening - Last year, the legislature passed S.B. 1611 (2025 1st Reg. Sess. Ch. 252), which established the Ag-to-Urban program. This program expressly requires the Arizona Department of Water Resources (“ADWR”) to conduct an expedited rulemaking to “[s]et licensing time frames to issue groundwater savings credits,” and to “[d]evelop a summary process to apply groundwater savings credits to designations of assured water supply.” A.R.S. § 45-465.05(G). The proposed amendments will establish a licensing timeframe for the issuance of groundwater savings credits and make changes to provide for an abbreviated process to pledge groundwater savings credits to a designation. A Notice of Proposed Expedited Rulemaking will be filed at a later date, which will include formal public meeting information. If you would like more information on informal stakeholder meetings, please contact Ben Bryce at [email protected].
Recently Approved Rules
Notice of Final Rulemaking- Alternative Path to Designation of a 100-year Assured Water Supply ( ADAWS ) rule amendments address challenges that some water providers face in pursuing a new Designation of 100-year Assured Water Supply (DAWS) under the current rules. Approved by the Governor's Regulatory Review Council on November 22, 2024 and effective November 25, 2024
Notice of Final Expedited Rulemaking- Amendments to the Department's fee rules reducing the application fees for an initial certificate of a grandfathered right in a subsequent AMA or an initial notice of irrigation authority in a subsequent INA. Approved by the Governor's Regulatory Review Council on October 3, 2023 and effective immediately.
Notice of Final Expedited Rulemaking- Amendments to the Department's licensing time-frame rule, well construction rules and dam safety rules. Approved by the Governor's Regulatory Review Council on January 4, 2022 and effective immediately.
Notice of Final Expedited Rulemaking- Amendments to the Departments Assured and Adequate Water Supply rules. Approved by the Governor's Regulatory Review Council on April 8, 2022 and effective immediately.
Right To Petition
As provided in A.R.S. § 41-1033(C), a person may petition the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council to request a review of a final rule based on the person's belief that the final rule does not meet the requirements prescribed in A.R.S. § 41‑1030.
Cases of Interest
Buckeye Tartesso, LLC v State of Arizona & ADWR
Filed on January 08, 2026 Case Number CV2026-001001
Center for Biological Diversity, San Pedro Alliance and Robin Silver v KATHLEEN M. HOBBS, in her capacity as governor of Arizona; ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES; THOMAS BUSCHATZKE, in their capacity as Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources,
Filed on June 24, 2024, Case Number CV2024-016330
CBD, San Pedro Alliance & Silver v AZ Governor and ADWR
Filed on April 22, 2025, Appeal of Superior Court Case CV2024-016330, Case Number CA-CV-25-0386
CBD, San Pedro Alliance & Silver v ADWR
Filed on June 19, 2025, Case Number CV2025-021564
CBD, San Pedro Alliance & Silver v ADWR
Filed on August 4, 2025, Case Number CV2025-027159
Home Builders Association of Central Arizona v ADWR
Filed on January 22, 2025, Case Number CV2025-002623
Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, Speaker Montenegro and President Petersen v ADWR
Filed on March 12, 2025, Case Number CV2025-008701
Opal Investments, LLC and Steff Investments, LLC v ADWR
Filed on January 23, 2023, Case Number LC2023-000020
ADWR v Opal Investments, LLC and Steff Investments, LLC
Filed on April 22, 2026 Court of Appeals Case Number SA-26-0147