Arizona Law Where Ground and Surface Water Meet

Abstract

This paper surveys the evolution of Arizona water law where ground and surface water interact. Historically, state law tended to separate the two. For decades, Arizona has wrestled with the issue of how to manage water where the two resources interact (which is often the case). The paper argues that Arizona's constitutional, statutory, and common law framework furnishes a sound basis for unitary management of Arizona's water resources.

Keywords: Water law, surface water, groundwater, environmental regulation, water rights

JEL Classification: Q2, Q00