Water rights, policies and regulations define the quantities of and conditions under which water may be used. Water rights, policies and regulations are typically designed to serve societal goals such as economic security and community resilience.
Stream adjudications are legal proceedings to determine and catalogue who has rights to use water from a river or stream. Arizona's two stream adjudication have been ongoing for decades and parties include cities, towns, tribes, farmers, ranchers, mines, national parks, state parks, homeowners and others. Learn more about the stream adjudications and what it will take for the state to complete them.
As coal power plants and mines are decommissioned, there are opportunities to reallocate water resources for other community and economic needs. This report inventories the water rights and use of coal mines and coal power plants throughout the Colorado River Basin.
An article about the proposed Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Agreement.
This report explains the legal connection between surface water and underground water in Arizona and the vulnerability of some water users within the Gila and Little Colorado watersheds to a finding that they are misappropriating surface water. In addition, the report explores how water rights uncertainty undermines both economic development and sustainable water management in many Arizona communities.
The proposed Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement aims to resolve water rights for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
Arizona's stream adjudications are complex legal proceedings to determine the rights to use water from the Gila and Little Colorado Rivers and all of their tributary rivers and streams. This report explores what types legislation related to the adjudications will survive constitutional scrutiny.
"Assigned water" -- that is, water banking in Lake Mead -- helps keep up reservoir levels, but it also involves trade-offs. This report explores assigned water and whether it undermines the goal of reducing total Colorado River water use over the long term.