Bradley Pew
Brown & Brown Law Offices, P.C.
Phone pending
About Bradley Pew
Bradley Pew is a water rights attorney at Brown & Brown Law Offices, P.C. representing landowners and stakeholders in Arizona, Arizona. Arizona water law is codified in Title 45 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, governed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, and structured around the doctrine of prior appropriation for surface water, the Groundwater Management Act of 1980, and the ongoing Gila and Little Colorado River general stream adjudications. See contact information below.
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Education
- Law School: Brigham Young
Common questions about Water Rights in Arizona
Answered by Arizona Attorney Search Network
What is the Arizona general stream adjudication?
The Gila River and Little Colorado River general stream adjudications are massive Superior Court proceedings determining all surface water rights on those river systems. Begun in 1974 (Gila) and 1978 (Little Colorado), the adjudications involve thousands of parties and decades of contested hearings. Settlement of major tribal claims (Navajo, Hopi, Pasqua Yaqui, San Carlos Apache, Tohono O'odham, etc.) has been integral to progress.
What is the Arizona Groundwater Management Act?
The 1980 Groundwater Management Act (ARS Title 45, Chapter 2) created Arizona's groundwater regulatory framework, designating Active Management Areas (AMAs) and Irrigation Non-Expansion Areas (INAs) where pumping is restricted. The Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Tucson, and Santa Cruz AMAs cover most of Arizona's population. The Act's goal is achieving 'safe-yield' (no net groundwater depletion) by 2025 in most AMAs.
Does Arizona have water for the future?
Constrained but managed. Arizona's water supply mix - Colorado River (uncertain due to reductions), groundwater (subject to AMA constraints), Salt and Verde river systems (CAP and SRP), and reclaimed water - is enough at current usage with active management, but the Tier 2 Colorado River reduction effective 2024 has tightened the picture. Long-term sustainability requires reduction in agricultural and urban use, settlement of remaining tribal rights, and continued conservation.