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Water Talks Continue For Pinal-Area Stakeholders

David Cook
Howard Fischer/Capital Media Services
Rep. David Cook in January 2019.

Lawmakers, farmers, developers and residents in the Pinal County area are meeting again today to talk water. 

The state of Arizona recently put out a new groundwater model for the Pinal "Active Management Area." It showed a shortfall of 8,606,917 acre-feet. An acre-foot of water can serve a family of four for one year. 

The shortfall means groundwater needed and projected for farming, development, industry, and residents over the next hundred years far outstrips the water available.

Both the state water resources director, Tom Buschatzke, and the leader of an ad hoc legislative committee, Republican David Cook, are calling for local solutions to the problem. Others want the governor to get involved

Either way, the committee continues its meetings Monday in Florence. 

Bret Jaspers was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2017 to 2020.