PHOENIX – Both Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, and the Department of Water Resources have each proposed agriculture-to-urban programs.
Both are focused on converting land with agricultural water rights into land and water for urban development.
The programs differ in timeline. Senate Bill 1611 has a shorter goal for passing the program. The Department of Water Resources has no strict deadlines.
The Senate bill also differs from the ADWR plan in that it wants to loosen some water provider obligations for developers in cities without a designated provider.
Communities and water experts weighed in on both programs, which look at the convergence of water, agriculture and urban development in Arizona.
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