The Arizona Water Banking Authority was created in 1996 to store the unused portion of Arizona’s annual allocation of the Colorado River. By storing this unused water the AWBA secures a dependable water supply necessary to ensure the state’s long-term prosperity. The plan is intended to govern the operations of the AWBA over the course of the entire calendar year.

The Arizona Water Banking Authority was created in 1996 to store the unused portion of Arizona’s annual allocation of Colorado River water. Until the AWBA was created, Arizona had not fully utilized its 2.8 million acre-foot allocation of Colorado River water and the state’s leaders recognized that leaving a portion of Arizona’s allocation in the river was a lost opportunity. The AWBA was created to provide assurances that water users within the state had secure, long-term water supplies.

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and detail on implementation of the Flood Control District of Maricopa County Floodplain Regulations and the Maricopa County Drainage Regulations. It presents the County/District philosophy on drainage and floodplain management, and planning for drainage facilities. It contains descriptions of federal, state and county regulations pertaining to such facilities, including links to the various District and County regulations that can be found on the Internet. Most importantly, the policies and minimum standards for implementing the regulations are presented. These policies and standards are based on flood and erosion hazard mitigation strategies that are intended to reduce or eliminate cumulative impacts resulting from development and to enhance public safety.

The 2009 Comprehensive Floodplain Management Plan and Program is intended to be used as a general guide for future decision-making in District activities. The Plan aims to present adequate background information to aid District staff in prioritizing areas for future studies and projects. The Plan identifies historic flooding events, reviews the District's efforts to solve flooding problems, and formulates five-year plans to reduce flooding through flood control project construction, floodplain identification, and planning programs throughout the county.

By establishing the District, the Arizona State Legislature created an entity charged with keeping county residents safe from flood hazards and established an independent funding source for essential projects. The District is a municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Arizona. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors doubles as the District's Board of Directors and receives counsel from the Flood Control Advisory Board comprised of county citizens.

Approximately 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and washes run through Maricopa County. In order to enhance and maintain the benefits provided by these watercourses, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County engaged in an effort to refine its role in river planning and management. To develop an enhanced river planning and management strategy, District staff adopted a process called C3RPM. The core C3 process addresses complex issues with a blend of comprehensive information collection to solicit diverse opinions; a coordinated and deliberative assessment of that information; and a collaborative decision-making system free of bias to promote a consensus result.