The need to control groundwater use in Arizona had long been apparent, but the will to act was lacking. In 1980, various interests rose to the occasion and negotiated the Groundwater Management Act. Signed into law on June 12, 1980, 20 years ago this year, the GMA became the law of the land.

Governor Symington signed into law on June 1 a controversial private property rights bill that requires the Attorney General to draft guidelines for state agencies to analyze the impacts of new rules and regulations on private property use. When such impacts constitute a "constitutional taking" of private property, the State must compensate the owners.

Arizona will be participating in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency national survey of drinking water systems, set to begin this fall. The EPA study is to determine the investment needed to be made in the nation's drinking water systems to supply safe water and comply with current and future federal regulations.

Responding to the Town of Payson's sale of its Central Arizona Project (CAP) subcontract to a developer, the Department of Water Resources DWR) has proposed criteria for approval of future transactions. Payson exchanged its CAP Municipal and Industrial (M&1) subcontract entitlement with North Scottsdale Developers in exchange for money to be used to develop water supplies nearer to Payson. North Scottsdale in turn transferred the subcontract to the City of Scottsdale in lieu of paying the City's water resource development fee for water service to its planned development. The "exchange" was approved unanimously by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) at its March 1 1 meeting.

News stories tend to occur in clusters, with several stories about a particular topic suddenly appearing. For example, a number of news stories about fish recently surfaced. With six or seven at last count, the fish stories are running in a school.

A classic controversy is being played out in the Sierra Vista area as officials grapple with a trio of issues growth, water and the preservation of the San Pedro River.

Water issues likely will take a back seat to tax cuts, education reform, and challenges to unfunded federal mandates in the 1995 session of Arizona's 42nd legislature. Among natural resource topics, air quality appears to be the top priority.

Dedicated to saving plants and animals from extinction, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) also has complicated and far-reaching effects on water policy. As stated by a speaker at a recent conference at the Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado, "The ESA is behind much of what is happening and will happen in water law."

Achieving safe yield, the fundamental objective of Arizona's 1980 Groundwater Management Act (GMA), may prove to be a more elusive goal than once expected. The GMA mandated that the Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott Active Management Areas (AMAs) achieve safe yield, a balancing of groundwater withdrawals with recharge, by the year 2025. Some of the assumptions and projections used to set the goal, however, have not held up after 20 years, with the result that safe yield may be a difficult target for some AMAs to reach.

In working to ensure adequate water supplies, a quest that is critical and ongoing, officials must not overlook another concern of great importance - the collection and preservation of state water records and information. Obtaining consumable water supplies and managing permanent state water records are both areas of concern.