Fix for farmers’ right to sell land with water advances
by Heather Smathers | Casa Grande Dispatch
Pinal farmers might soon get relief on a problem that’s been plaguing them for more than a decade — what happens to their water if they sell their land?
A change in those future water rights, called extinguishment credits, will soon head for final approval to the Governor’s Office. The change would affect agricultural land in Pinal County and would allow the owners of ag land to retain their water credits — essentially the amount of acre-feet they’re allocated each year. Although farmers have retained water rights for farming, those credits were set to diminish rapidly with respect to future development, harming farmers as well as future land prices, Pinal County Supervisor Steve Miller, who long has championed the change, previously told PinalCentral.
Miller said the change is important because it allows landowners to keep their allotted number of acre-feet as along as they own the land. Another important change, he said, is that the credits now transfer within families, an important distinction to note because the current regulation doesn’t allow the transfer.
