CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) - The Arizona Department of Water Resources has been accused of speeding through the fourth draft of a long-delayed water management plan for Pinal County without enough time for public comment.
The Groundwater Users Advisory Council for the Pinal Active Management Area met with county officials Wednesday to discuss proposed changes to plans in place for the Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Santa Cruz and Tucson areas, the Casa Grande Dispatch reported.
The council was supposed to discuss the 350-page proposal released in March last month, but the meeting was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The plan was supposed to be completed in 2008, but cuts to department staffing slowed its progress.
The water management plan was created under the state’s 1980 Groundwater Management Act, which is designed to control the use and encourage the conservation of groundwater in those regions. The changes in the fourth draft include allowing the state department to audit conservation programs, change incentive programs and more.
Department planning manager Natalie Mast requested written comment from the council on the plan by June 5. Public comment and plan adoption are expected by the fall of 2020. The department also hopes to have a draft of the fifth plan in place by 2021 and have a final fifth plan adopted by 2022.
Councilman Scott Riggins opposed the quick timeline arguing it was the first time the council had been presented with the draft of the fourth management plan as an entire body.
“There’s been no public discussion of this,” Riggins said, acknowledging that the council as a whole was not able to discuss the plan even though its been out since March. “This virtual format does not further the public process. We need to find a way for people to be heard.”
Mast acknowledged the short time frame but also said department staff had presented parts of the drafted plan to the council at least three times before. Riggins said the council recommended changes each time, but none were included in the final draft.
Council Chairman David Snider asked if a public meeting could be held before the end of July to further discuss the draft. The state department said it would be possible so long as the council complies with the Arizona Open Meeting Law, which Snider said shouldn’t be a problem.
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