Representative Gail Griffin, a Republican from Arizona’s 19th Legislative District and a member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), has published an op-ed addressing the state’s groundwater management. Griffin argues that Arizona already possesses comprehensive tools to manage its water resources effectively, countering narratives that suggest the state is on the verge of a water crisis.
“Arizona is often portrayed as a state on the brink of a water crisis. Yet few realize that more than 90 percent of Arizonans already live under some form of groundwater management,” Rep. Griffin writes. “Some have called for creating new management tools or sweeping state frameworks. With the Groundwater Management Act of 1980 and its companion laws, Arizona already has every tool it needs to protect local supplies where science and residents support it.”
Griffin outlines three main regulatory structures: Active Management Areas (AMAs), Irrigation Non-Expansion Areas (INAs), and Mandatory Adequacy jurisdictions. AMAs, established in 1980, regulate all industries by restricting farmland expansion, setting conservation standards, requiring new subdivisions to prove a 100-year assured water supply, and covering major population centers such as Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson, Prescott, and Santa Cruz.
INAs were created in 1982 to prevent agricultural expansion and require farmers to report their annual water use. The first INAs included Joseph City, Harquahala Valley, and Douglas Basin.
The Mandatory Adequacy program was authorized in 2007 for areas outside AMAs. It requires developers to show proof of long-term water supply before new housing projects are approved. Yuma County adopted this measure in 2008; Cochise County and several towns followed suit.
Griffin also notes that court decrees limit surface water use in certain regions like Graham and Greenlee counties.
According to Griffin’s analysis, these overlapping frameworks mean over 90 percent of Arizonans live under some form of regulated groundwater management. She emphasizes that this approach allows for solutions tailored to local conditions rather than imposing uniform statewide mandates.
Governor Katie Hobbs echoed this sentiment at the University of Arizona’s Water Resources Research Center Conference in 2025: “We have the tools to protect groundwater throughout this state.”
Despite legislative efforts in 2025 aimed at improving agricultural efficiency within AMAs, setting pumping caps for INAs, and increasing flexibility for the Mandatory Adequacy program—all vetoed by Governor Hobbs—Griffin maintains that existing legal mechanisms remain sufficient if used locally based on scientific evidence and community consensus.
She cites recent examples such as Douglas Basin residents voting to convert their INA into an AMA in 2022; Kingman residents petitioning for an INA; and Governor Hobbs establishing an AMA in Willcox Basin despite earlier voter opposition.
Gail Griffin concludes by urging communities to focus on refining current regulations where most people reside rather than seeking new statewide measures. She serves as Chairman of the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee.
