Sec 45-2423. Powers and duties of authority

A. The authority, acting through its commission, shall:

1. Administer the Arizona water banking fund in accordance with this chapter.

2. Coordinate its staffing needs with the director and CAWCD.

3. Coordinate the storage of water and distribution and extinguishment of long-term storage credits with the director in accordance with this chapter and the water management objectives set forth in chapter 2 of this title.

4. Coordinate with CAWCD for the purchase, delivery and storage of Colorado river water delivered through the central Arizona project in accordance with this chapter and confer with CAWCD regarding the purchase of long-term storage credits for which CAWCD will be the recovery agent.

5. Coordinate and confer with state agencies, municipal corporations, special districts, authorities, other political subdivisions, private entities, Indian communities and the United States on matters within their jurisdiction relating to the policy and purposes of this chapter.

6. Determine, on an annual basis, the quantity of Colorado river water, surface water other than Colorado river water and effluent to be stored by the authority and where that storage will occur.

7. Account for, hold and distribute or extinguish long-term storage credits in accordance with this chapter.

8. Comply with all aspects of chapter 3.1 of this title.

9. Perform the authority's replenishment responsibilities under chapter 15, article 3 of this title with monies appropriated from the state general fund by the legislature for that purpose and to the extent that monies appropriated by the legislature for that purpose are not available, with monies collected in the Pinal active management area pursuant to section 45-611, subsection C, paragraph 3.

10. Carry out the obligations of this state under section 105 of Public Law 108-451 as agent for this state, including the direct delivery of water to Indian communities in this state and the leasing of non-Indian agricultural priority and Indian priority central Arizona project water as prescribed by article 5 of this chapter.

11. Adopt an official seal for the authentication of its records, decisions and resolutions.

12. Keep the minutes of its meetings and all records, reports and other information relating to its work and programs in permanent form, systematically indexed and filed.

B. The authority, acting through its commission, may:

1. Apply for and hold water storage permits.

2. Accrue, purchase, exchange, assign, lend and hold long-term storage credits in accordance with this chapter, subject to the following:

(a) Except for the purchase of long-term storage credits from an Indian community pursuant to section 45-841.01, the authority may purchase long-term storage credits only after the authority has stored or scheduled for storage all available excess central Arizona project water or when central Arizona project water is otherwise unavailable or undeliverable.

(b) Long-term storage credits accrued or purchased by the authority must be distributed or extinguished in accordance with the rules of operation specified in section 45-2457 for the monies used by the authority to accrue or purchase the credits.

3. Exchange Colorado river water for any type of water in accordance with chapter 4 of this title.

4. Enter into water banking services agreements.

5. Charge fees for water banking services.

6. Apply for and hold any water quality permit required for water storage by the department of environmental quality under title 49, chapter 2, article 3 or by federal law.

7. Make and execute all contracts, including intergovernmental agreements pursuant to title 11, chapter 7, article 3, that shall be signed by the chairperson, or in the chairperson's absence the vice-chairperson, and attested by the secretary, necessary to:

(a) Obtain for storage Colorado river water delivered through the central Arizona project. Agreements by which the authority obtains Colorado river water are exempt from the requirements of title 41, chapter 23.

(b) Obtain effluent or surface water other than Colorado river water for storage but only after the authority has stored or scheduled for storage all available excess Central Arizona project water or when central Arizona project water is otherwise unavailable or undeliverable.

(c) Affiliate water storage permits held by the authority with storage facility permits.

(d) Store water for purposes of this chapter at permitted storage facilities.

(e) Distribute long-term storage credits accrued or purchased by the authority to make water available to municipal and industrial users of Colorado river water in this state that are inside or outside of the CAWCD service area, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(f) Store Colorado river water in Arizona on behalf of appropriately authorized agencies in California and Nevada.

(g) Cause a decrease in Arizona diversions from the Colorado river, ensuring that Arizona will use less than its full entitlement to Colorado river water in years in which California and Nevada agencies are contractually authorized to call on the water stored on their behalf by the authority.

(h) Distribute long-term storage credits earned by the authority on behalf of agencies in California and Nevada to Colorado river water users in Arizona to use in place of Colorado river water that would have otherwise been used by those Arizona users.

(i) Replenish water pursuant to chapter 15, article 3 of this title, including entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the Gila river Indian community pursuant to section 45-2624.

(j) Distribute long-term storage credits accrued or purchased by the authority to make water available to Indian communities in this state for Indian firming measures pursuant to article 5 of this chapter.

8. Sue and be sued.

9. Perform all other acts necessary for the authority to carry out its purposes, powers and duties in accordance with this chapter.

10. Submit a request for a general fund appropriation to the legislature each year. A request shall be accompanied by a budget detailing how the appropriation would be used and justifying the need for the appropriation.

11. Form temporary committees as deemed necessary by the authority to provide the authority with advice on issues identified by the authority. Advisory committees may consist of members of the public selected by the authority, members of the authority and authority staff.