How a 1980 law prevents rural Arizona communities from controlling their groundwater

By Mason Carroll, Published: Oct. 25, 2023

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — In the drought, water is a scarce, invaluable resource. The Valley relies mostly on surface water from melting snowpack in the mountains. People in rural Arizona have to rely more on groundwater, and they have no way of telling just how much is down there.

Leaders in the high country, like Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman, are fighting to know how much groundwater is left or where exactly it is. “What we need is to be able to decide our own future and what that means is we need to be able to look underneath to see what water exists,” Horstman said. “We can’t even look there right now.” With so many communities relying on this water, if it runs dry, that could be devastating for local businesses, tourism, and simply day-to-day life like showering and clean drinking water.

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