Proposal would name some Arizona aquifers for groundwater assessment

The bill would add some Arizona aquifers to the list of priority aquifers for assessment. The provision concerns priority transboundary aquifers under the U.S.-Mexico assessment program. The Arizona aquifer under Arizona and Sonora that is partly within the Yuma groundwater basin is excluded.

The bill would set the years covered by the program's funding authorization as 2026 through 2036. The years apply to the funding authorization in the existing U.S.-Mexico aquifer assessment law. This sets the years for which funding may be authorized; it does not itself provide money. The authorization period would cover fiscal years 2026 through 2036.

The bill would change the law's reference for when its authority ends. This provision changes the wording in the existing law's sunset section, which sets an end point for authority.