In Arizona, water is the lifeblood of our rural economies, where agriculture, industry, small businesses and families all depend on reliable water supplies. Right now, Arizona stands at a critical crossroads in managing our water resources. Now, we have an opportunity to change that. It’s why we, leaders from across the state, are proud to stand together — Republicans and Democrats alike — to forge a modern, collaborative path to addressing Arizona’s water challenges. The Rural Groundwater Management Act represents a long-overdue step toward securing Arizona’s water future. This initiative creates certainty, opportunity and security for everyone who calls rural Arizona home.

Water is not a partisan issue — it is a fundamental resource that sustains our communities, our economy and our way of life. Last time we checked, there wasn’t Democratic water and Republican water. There’s only Arizona water, and it’s important that our communities have the opportunity to control our growth and our future. Rural Arizona, in particular, faces unique challenges. Communities are grappling with dwindling groundwater supplies, water security risks and a lack of viable management options. Without action, these challenges threaten the livelihoods, property rights and economic prospects of thousands of Arizonans.

Local Choice, Local Solutions

Rural communities are best positioned to understand their own water needs. One-size-fits-all mandates do not work for Arizona’s diverse landscape. The policy we are advancing — built on the foundation of the bipartisan Governor’s Water Policy Council — prioritizes local control. It provides the tools and flexibility necessary for rural Arizonans to guide their own water futures while respecting the character of each community.

As mayors, we understand this firsthand.

This initiative finally offers rural Arizona what our urban counterparts have benefited from for decades: a framework for sustainable water management that does not impose rigid, bureaucratic restrictions. Instead, it empowers communities to make decisions tailored to their unique challenges and opportunities.

Modernizing Water Management for Arizona

By creating an alternative management framework, we are equipping rural Arizona with forward-looking strategies that balance economic vitality and resource protection. The city of Prescott has been a leader in water conservation, but the Prescott Active Management Area safe yield goals are impacted by other municipalities and county-exempt well users who don’t adopt the same efforts. We can’t conserve our way to safe yield. We need a broad policy statement that protects the balance of interests between business development, agriculture and rural communities.

This is about working together, not imposing solutions from the top down.

Protecting Water and Property Rights, Safeguarding the future

Water policy in Arizona must uphold our deeply held values of property rights and individual responsibility. Any solution must strike a balance between protecting personal ownership and ensuring long-term sustainability. This bipartisan proposal does just that. As local leaders, we have long sounded the alarm about out-of-state and international interests over-extracting Arizona’s groundwater in a rapidly damaging manner.

Creating Prosperity for Rural Arizona

Economic prosperity and responsible water stewardship are not mutually exclusive. We can and must achieve both. By securing our water future, we are paving the way for growth that is sustainable, responsible and beneficial for all.

The time for action is now. We waited long enough for a fair and effective water management option. We have the opportunity to make 2025 the year that the Legislature finally delivers the tools and flexibility our communities need. Future generations should not have to choose between economic opportunity and environmental responsibility. With this approach, they won’t have to.

Phil Goode is the mayor of Prescott and Greg Hancock is the mayor of Willcox.