Ariz. Admin. Code § 12-15-725

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 36, September 6, 2024

Section R12-15-725 - Pinal AMA - Calculation of Groundwater Allowance and Extinguishment Credits

A. The Director shall calculate the groundwater allowance for a certificate or designation in the Pinal AMA as follows:

1. If the application is for a certificate:

a. If the certificate application is filed before January 1, 2019, multiply the annual estimated water demand for the proposed subdivision by 10.

b. If the certificate application is filed on or after January 1, 2019, the groundwater allowance shall be zero.

2. If the application is for a designation:

a. If the applicant was designated as having an assured water supply as of October 1, 2007:

i. Multiply the applicant's service area population as of October 1, 2007 by 125 gallons per capita per day and multiply the product by 365 days. The service area population shall be determined using the methodology set forth in Section 5-103(D) of the Third Management Plan for the Pinal AMA.

ii. Convert the number of gallons determined in subsection (A)(2)(a)(i) into acre-feet by dividing the number by 325,851 gallons.

iii. Determine the number of residential lots within plats that were recorded as of October 1, 2007 but not served water as of that date, and to which the applicant commenced water service by January 1, 2010.

iv. Multiply the number of lots determined in subsection (A)(2)(a)(iii) of this Section by 0.35 acre-foot per lot.

v. Add the volume from subsection (A)(2)(a)(ii) of this Section and the volume from subsection (A)(2)(a)(iv) of this Section.

b. If the applicant provided water to its customers before October 1, 2007 but was not designated as having an assured water supply as of that date, and a complete and correct application for designation was filed before January 1, 2012, multiply the applicant's service area population as of October 1, 2007 by 125 gallons per capita per day and multiply the product by 365 days. The service area population shall be determined using the methodology in Section 5-103(D) of the Third Management Plan for the Pinal AMA.

c. If the applicant provided water to its customers before October 1, 2007 but was not designated as having an assured water supply as of that date, and a complete and correct application for designation was filed on or after January 1, 2012, the applicant's groundwater allowance is zero acre-feet.

d. If the applicant commenced providing water to its customers on or after October 1, 2007, the applicant's groundwater allowance is zero acre-feet.

3. For each calendar year of a designation, the Director shall calculate the volume of incidental recharge for a designated provider within the Pinal AMA and add that volume to the designated provider's groundwater allowance. The Director shall calculate the volume of incidental recharge by multiplying the provider's total water use from any source in the previous calendar year by the standard incidental recharge factor of 4%. A designated provider may apply for a variance from the standard incidental recharge factor by submitting a hydrologic study demonstrating, to the satisfaction of the Director, that the ratio of the average annual amount of incidental recharge expected to be attributable to the designated provider during the management period to the average annual amount of water expected to be withdrawn, diverted or received for delivery by the designated provider for use within its service area during the management period is different than 4%. The hydrologic study shall include the amount of water withdrawn, diverted or received for delivery by the designated provider for use within its service area during each of the preceding five years and the amount of incidental recharge that was attributable to the designated provider during each of those years. The Director may establish a different incidental recharge factor for the designated provider upon such demonstration.

B. The Director shall calculate the extinguishment credits for extinguishing a grandfathered right in the Pinal AMA as follows.

1. The Director shall calculate the initial volume of extinguishment credits for the extinguishment of a grandfathered right in the Pinal AMA as follows:

a. For the extinguishment of a type 2 non-irrigation grandfathered right, multiply the number of acre-feet indicated on the certificate of grandfathered right by 100.

b. For the extinguishment of all or part of an irrigation grandfathered right, or all or part of a type 1 non-irrigation grandfathered right, multiply 1.5 acre-feet by the number of irrigation acres associated with the extinguished irrigation grandfathered right or the number of acres to which the extinguished type 1 non-irrigation grandfathered right is appurtenant, and then multiply that product by 100, except that:

i. If only a portion of an irrigation grandfathered right or a type 1 non-irrigation grandfathered right is extinguished, only those acres associated with the portion of the right that is extinguished shall be included in the calculation; and

ii. If an extinguished irrigation grandfathered right has a debit balance in the corresponding flexibility account established under § 45-467, the amount of the debit shall be subtracted from the amount of the extinguishment credits.

2. For grandfathered rights extinguished in the Pinal active management area on or after January 1, 2019, if the amount of the extinguishment credits remaining unused in the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth year after the year of extinguishment is greater than an amount calculated by multiplying the initial volume of extinguishment credits by the applicable percentage shown in the table below, the amount of unused credits shall be reduced to an amount calculated by multiplying the initial volume of extinguishment credits by the applicable percentage:

Year After Extinguishment	Percentage
Fifth	75%
Ten th	50%
Fifteenth	25%
Twentieth	0%

3. For purposes of subsection (B)(2) of this section, the amount of extinguishment credits remaining unused shall be the initial volume of extinguishment credits issued for the extinguishment of the right, less:

a. The amount of any of the extinguishment credits previously pledged to a certificate of assured water supply or designation of assured water supply pursuant to R12-15-723, subsections (E) or (F) and reported to the department as having been used; and

b. The amount of any previous reductions made to the extinguishment credits pursuant to subsection (B)(2) of this section.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R12-15-725

Adopted effective February 7, 1995 (Supp. 95-1). Section repealed; new Section made by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 3475, effective September 12, 2006 (Supp. 06-3). Section repealed; new Section made by final rulemaking at 13 A.A.R. 1394, effective October 1, 2007 (Supp. 07-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 15 A.A.R. 1979, effective January 2, 2010 (Supp. 09-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 19 A.A.R. 4174, effective December 3, 2013. Amended by final rulemaking at 24 A.A.R. 3578, effective 1/1/2019.