Got Water?
Securing Water Rights for LVRE Owners
"Whiskey is for drinking - Water is for fighting" - Mark Twain
We are lucky that our wells tap into one of the best aquifers in Arizona. While we have had an
excellent monsoon this year, Arizona is still in an extended drought. And that drought is expected to worsen. As a result, our water will become more precious and perhaps more desirable by outside entities.
It is important that you have secure and established rights to use the water from your wells. Here's how to do so:
1. Confirm that you are the documented owner of your well. While well ownership should have been transferred into your name when you bought your property, we have found that was not always the case. You can confirm ownership by calling the Groundwater Permitting and Wells Section of the Arizona Department of Water Resources at 602.771.8527. You can also use the interactive Registry of Wells in AZ map at https://azwatermaps.azwater.gov/wellreg.
They can quickly confirm your ownership using your Well Registration Number (55-??????). If you don't know your Well Registration Number (and who does), call Kim at Drill Tech in Chino Valley (928.636.8006). Drill Tech dug all the original wells at LVRE; Kim can look up the number using your Parcel Number (e.g., 52).
If the well is not in your name, file a Request to Change Well Information with the AZ Department of Water Resources. You can find that form at: https://new.azwater.gov/permitting-wells/forms/55-71a-change-well-information.
2. After you confirm that your well is in your name, file a Statement of Claimant (SOC) form for the Verde River Watershed with the AZ Department of Water Resources. Instructions and forms are provided at: https://new.azwater.gov/adjudications/statement-claimant-new-use-summons-forms. The instructions provide an excellent explanation of why you should file a SOC for your well.
The SOC will assert your claim to water rights and will protect those rights as a result of an ongoing court proceeding known as the Gila River Adjudication. The purpose is to determine the nature, extent, and relative priority of rights to use water in the Gila River System and Source. Click here for more information.
You can check your SOC status using the SOC interactive map at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/dccd34942e394028860e7505bd52fc8a/.