About Rodgerick Begay
Rodgerick Begay is a water rights attorney at Navajo Nation Department of Justice representing landowners and stakeholders in Window Rock, 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: U of Tulsa
Common questions about Water Rights in Arizona
Answered by Arizona Attorney Search Network
Are groundwater and surface water treated the same in Arizona?
No. Arizona uniquely separates surface water (governed by prior appropriation under ARS Title 45, Chapter 1, and administered by ADWR) from groundwater (governed by the 1980 Groundwater Management Act in AMAs, and reasonable-use elsewhere). The legal frameworks differ substantially even when the physical water is hydrologically connected. This bifurcation has driven ongoing litigation.
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.
What are the Active Management Areas in Arizona?
Five AMAs cover most of Arizona's groundwater-dependent population: Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Tucson, and Santa Cruz. Inside AMAs, ARS § 45-561 et seq. limits new groundwater pumping, requires Assured Water Supply for new subdivisions, and assesses fees on water users. Each AMA has a management plan revised every 10 years toward the safe-yield (or other) goal.
Q&As answered by Rodgerick Begay
Practice Areas
Notable Case Results
Office Location
Navajo Nation Department of Justice
PO Box 2010
Window Rock, AZ 86515
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