Transcript Arizona Golf Courses Water Compliance and Conservation

Arizona Golf Courses
Water Compliance
and
Conservation
Arizona Department of Water Resources
2009
Discussion Topics
1.
2.
3.
Water Regulation in Arizona – Background
Phoenix AMA Golf Course Water Use
Conservation Allotment Calculations
New vs. Historic Courses
Temporary Additional Allotments
4.
Turf-Facility Flexibility Accounts
Example Facility Violation
5.
6.
Enforcement Procedures
Future Golf Course Regulation in Arizona
Water Regulation in Arizona – Background
• Arizona is an arid environment with limited water
supplies
• Prior to 1980 groundwater law was addressed in
a piecemeal fashion by the courts because there
wasn’t a comprehensive body of law dealing
with water
• This resulted in many confusing and
contradictory decisions over the years
• Population growth and groundwater overdraft
were increasing problems
Water Regulation in Arizona – Background
• Most of the overdraft problem was in the
population centers and agricultural areas of
the state
• The Central Arizona Project was under
construction but funding jeopardized unless
Arizona controlled groundwater overdraft
• In the 1970s the state Legislature sought help
from municipal providers, agricultural users
and mining interests
• Result: AZ State Legislature passed a
comprehensive Groundwater Management
Act in 1980
Water Regulation in Arizona – Background
• The Groundwater Management Act created Active
Management Areas and Irrigation Non-expansion
Areas in the population centers and agricultural areas
of the state
• Active Management Areas (AMAs) are areas of the
state that are “actively managed” through the creation
of groundwater rights and limitations on the amount
of groundwater that can be pumped, delivered and
received
• Irrigation Non-Expansion Areas (INAs) are managed
to prohibit agricultural expansion only
• The Groundwater Code generally does not regulate
water use outside AMAs
AMAs and INAs
• Established AMAs
–
–
–
–
–
Phoenix (1980)
Pinal (1980)
Prescott (1980)
Tucson (1980)
Santa Cruz (1994)
formerly part of Tucson AMA
• Established INAs
– Douglas (1980)
– Joseph City (1980)
– Harquahala (1981)
Golf Courses Outside of AMAs
• No ADWR conservation requirements outside
of AMAs
• Individual counties, cities or towns may
regulate golf courses independent of ADWR
• ADWR Adequate Water Supply Program
• If golf course is in a subdivision that requires a
demonstration of adequacy the golf course must
demonstrate a 100 year adequate water supply
• May limit the amount of water for a golf course
Phoenix AMA Golf Course Water Use
AMA use
2450
195
185
2400
175
165
2350
155
Acre-Feet
• 3,569 Golf Holes or
198 18-Hole Courses
• 16,175 turfed acres
3,325 LWU acres
1,114 surface water acres
• Approx. 3% - 4% of total
Thousands
2007 STATISTICS
Golf Course
145
2300
135
Phoenix AMA
Linear (Golf
Course)
125
2250
115
105
2200
95
85
75
2150
2005
2006
2007
Conservation Allotment Calculations
• Acre-Foot Definition
• Amount of water needed to cover 1 acre 1 foot
deep
• 1 acre-foot = 325,851 gallons
• 1 acre-foot is enough water for 2 – 3 households
for a year
• Maximum application rates
• Turf = 4.9 a-f/acre
• Low water use landscape = 1.5 a-f/acre
• Lake = 6.2 a-f/acre
Conservation Allotment Calculations
Conservation requirements for new regulation 18 hole golf courses in Phoenix AMA
Constructed post 1984 and minimum of 6,200 yards in length
Example calculation for maximum annual allotment based on 18 holes:
LANDSCAPE TYPE
MAX ACRES MAX ACRE-FEET
Turf Acres
5 acres/hole
441 af
Additional Turf And Low Water Use Acres:
5 a-f/hole
90 af
Lake Acres
0.14 acres/hole
15.62 af
TOTAL ALLOTMENT
546.62 a-f/yr
Conservation Allotment Calculations
Conservation requirements for historic regulation 18 hole golf courses in Phoenix AMA
Constructed pre 1985. May have historic turf, lake, and low water use acres > 90 acres.
If remodeling occurs ( > 2 holes) historic exemption is reduced to 90 a-f maximum for new courses.
Example calculation for annual allotment based on 18 holes:
LANDSCAPE TYPE
MAX ACRES MAX ACRE-FEET
Turf Acres
5 acres/hole
441 af
Historic Turf Acres (above 5 acres/hole)
4 a-f/acre
Unlimited
Historic Low Water Use Acres
1.5 a-f/acre
Unlimited
Lake Acres
.14 acres/hole
Unlimited
TOTAL ALLOTMENT
Variable
Temporary Additional Allotments
The following temporary additional allotments all require approval from ADWR Director.
LANDSCAPE TYPE
Newly Turfed Area Establishment
Revegetation
Lake (Initial fill and refill)
Leaching (TDS > 1,000 MG/LTR)
ADDITIONAL
LIMITATIONS
1 a-f/acre
1 year only
1.5 a-f/acre
Up to 3 years
Approved plant list
Total Volume needed
Year of fill/refill only
Formula Based
Until TDS < 1,000
MG/LTR or 4MP
Golf Course Conservation Incentives
• Turfed acre reduction usu. maintains
conservation allotment unless significant
remodeling (2 or more holes)
• Renewable supplies
Effluent = 40% credit (100 af = 60 af)
Surface Water
Turf-Facility Flexibility Accounts
A turf-facility flexibility account:
• measures compliance status
• was created to address annual weather variability
• rolls over from year-to-year for TMP duration
• is equal to 20% of a facility’s conservation
allotment
• Debit – subtract overuse if use more than allotment
• May not exceeded >20% of conservation allotment
• Credit – add under use if use less than annual allotment
• Accrues to a maximum of 20% credit for using less water
than conservation allotment.
Flexibility Account Violation: Example
700
600
500
Conservation
Allotment
Annual Water Use
400
300
Flex Account Balance
200
Flex Account
Violation
100
0
-100
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Additional Compliance Violations
• Facility Conservation Plan on file
• Exceedance of Permitted Well Volume
• Exceedance of Groundwater Withdrawal Authority
Note: A facility’s legal entitlement to withdrawal
groundwater (pursuant to Type 1 or 2 rights and GIU)
may be greater than or less than the conservation
allotment
Enforcement Procedures
• Advisory Letters
• Citations
• Notice of Non-Compliance
• Stipulation and Consent Orders (SCO)
Advisory Letters
• Issued for suspected minor violations of the
Groundwater Code and/or Management Plan
• Explains basis of ADWR findings
• Encourages regulated person to contact ADWR
for assistance and additional information
• Not considered a formal enforcement action
• If violations are repetitious further enforcement
action may apply
Citations
• Currently issued in every ADWR regulatory
program (except Surface Water)
• Violations are ‘remedied’ by assessment of
fines/civil penalties and possibly requires
instructions/actions to be completed by violator
• Citations must be paid within 30 days and upon
payment the case is closed
• ADWR usu. monitors violator for several years to
ensure compliance in future
Notice of Non-Compliance
• May be first formal notification of violation
• Can be sent in conjunction with Report of Audit,
Field Investigation Report or prior to SCO
process
• Sent when ADWR has determined that violation
has occurred
• Provides regulated person with opportunity to
contact ADWR
Stipulation and Consent Order (SCO)
• Generally utilized for repetitious violations or
those involving large quantities of water
• Sets conditions that Respondent must meet by a
specific date, payment of associated civil
penalties
• Civil penalties may be reduced and in return
Respondent agrees to complete all conditions
set forth in SCO
Stipulation and Consent Order (SCO)
• Usually includes a probationary period of several
years
• Violation of SCO results in full payment of any
waived/reduced civil penalties
• Can be a negotiated process between ADWR
and Respondent
• Monitoring continues throughout probationary
period and beyond
Future Golf Course Regulation in Arizona
• We recognize the considerable economic
impact of the golf industry in Arizona
• We recognize that the golf industry has
contributed to water conservation by:
• Conducting research
• Investing in new technologies
• Developing innovative turf grass management
techniques
• Being creative when designing golf courses to use
less water
• Implementing the use of non-groundwater water
supplies, especially reclaimed water
Future Golf Course Regulation in Arizona
Primary regulatory tool for golf courses in the AMAs is the
Management Plan
• A new management plan is developed every 10
years until 2025
• Management Plans are used to achieve each AMA’s
management goal
• Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott management goal is
safe-yield by 2025
• The Fourth Management Plan is in early stages of
development
Future Golf Course Regulation in Arizona
Are we expecting the golf course industry do
more?
• We will evaluate current golf course
allotments and requirements and analyze
the potential for additional conservation as
we do for all water use sectors
• We will seek participation and input by the
golf industry as we have done for previous
management plans
Questions?
Arizona Department of Water
Resources
Phoenix Active Management Area
3550 N. Central Avenue, 2nd Floor
Phoenix, Arizona 85012
(602) 771-8585
www.azwater.gov
Andrew Craddock
Chair, ADWR Compliance Program
[email protected]
Macreena Cress
Team Lead, Industrial Program, Phoenix AMA
[email protected]