Arizona Real Estate License Arizona Water Law 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Arizona law, surface water rights are governed by which doctrine?
- Prior appropriation (Correct answer)
- Riparian rights
- Reasonable use
- Absolute ownership
Correct answer: Prior appropriation
Arizona surface water follows the prior appropriation doctrine, meaning 'first in time, first in right.'
Question 2: The phrase 'first in time, first in right' means that:
- The senior appropriator has priority in times of shortage (Correct answer)
- All users share water equally
- The largest landowner controls the water
- The state distributes water by lottery
Correct answer: The senior appropriator has priority in times of shortage
Senior water rights holders are served first during shortages under prior appropriation.
Question 3: Which Arizona agency administers surface water and groundwater regulation?
- Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) (Correct answer)
- Arizona Corporation Commission
- Bureau of Land Management
- Environmental Protection Agency
Correct answer: Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR)
The Arizona Department of Water Resources oversees the state's water resources and rights.
Question 4: The 1980 Arizona law that regulates groundwater in critical areas is the:
- Groundwater Management Act (Correct answer)
- Central Arizona Project Act
- Clean Water Act
- Colorado River Compact
Correct answer: Groundwater Management Act
The 1980 Groundwater Management Act created regulatory controls over groundwater use.
Question 5: Groundwater in Arizona is primarily governed by which legal doctrine?
- Reasonable use doctrine (Correct answer)
- Prior appropriation
- Riparian rights
- Absolute dominion
Correct answer: Reasonable use doctrine
Arizona applies the reasonable use doctrine to percolating groundwater outside active management areas.
Question 6: An Active Management Area (AMA) is designed to:
- Reduce groundwater depletion and reach safe yield (Correct answer)
- Increase agricultural water use
- Sell water to other states
- Eliminate all groundwater pumping
Correct answer: Reduce groundwater depletion and reach safe yield
AMAs are established to curb overdraft and achieve a balance of withdrawal and recharge.
Question 7: Before subdividing land in an AMA, a developer must generally demonstrate:
- A 100-year assured water supply (Correct answer)
- A 10-year water lease
- Federal water rights
- Riparian frontage
Correct answer: A 100-year assured water supply
The Assured Water Supply program requires proof of a 100-year water supply for new subdivisions in AMAs.
Arizona Real Estate License Arizona Water Law 2
Under Arizona law, surface water rights are governed by which doctrine?