Water coalition weighs in on Cochise County groundwater management initiative

By Ron Dungan
Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - 5:26pm

Although Cochise County has yet to release official election results, one group of poll watchers is weighing in on a voter initiative to manage groundwater.

While the county remains committed to a controversial vote counting process, members of the Water Coalition of Arizona say that initiative 422, which would establish a groundwater management board, should easily have enough votes to pass.

That makes it the most significant change in rural groundwater management in decades, said Haley Paul, Policy Director for Arizona Audubon and a member of the coalition.

“They took action that the state couldn’t do for the last 40 years, which is impressive. And it’s all led by these Arizona Water Defenders and their grass roots group of residents and well owners that live in the basin,” she said.

Paul says she hopes the legislature will act to bring management to other rural areas in the next session.

Water