Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report
for the Sycamore Subwatershed in the Verde River Watershed
In re the General Adjudication of All Rights to Use Water in the Gila River System and Source
This Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (“Preliminary HSR”) presents the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ (“ADWR” or “Department”) investigative work concerning historical and current water uses in the Sycamore Subwatershed within the Verde River Watershed. The Preliminary HSR provides background on the study area, describes the investigative procedures, and includes 1,623 Watershed File Reports (“WFRs”) describing water uses on a parcel-by-parcel basis. These investigative findings will assist the Adjudication Court in determining the nature, extent, and relative priority of water rights in the Sycamore Subwatershed. This is a preliminary report, as a Final HSR will be published at a later date following the close of the public comment period.
Comments on the Preliminary HSR must be received by ADWR no later than September 4, 2026.
Claimants who wish to provide additional information pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-256(B) must do so
six months before the issuance of the Final HSR on March 12, 2027.
Estimated Timeline for the Adjudication Court to Issue a Final Decree for the Sycamore Subwatershed
NOTE: Dates subject to change if ordered by the Adjudication Court.
How a Recommendation is Determined:
Any person or entity who uses water or made a claim to use water on a property within the Sycamore Subwatershed may review all documents related to their WFR of interest.
Each water right claim or water use investigated may result in water right attributes recommended pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-256(B). Generally, for ADWR to recommend a use, the use needs to include both a Statement of Claimant (SOC )and a Basis of Right (BOR). WFRs may include water uses with a recommendation and water uses without a recommendation.
The Preliminary HSR results do not reflect final water right determinations. For more information on water right recommendations and conclusions, please see Section 4.3.6 in the Preliminary HSR.
Common Reasons for not Receiving a Recommendation:
- No Certificate of Water Right
- No Statement of Claimant (SOC)
- Statement of Claim of Right (also called 36 Filing) without legal basis for the claim or claiming a water use with a post-1919 priority date
- Insufficient information provided in filings (e.g. need descriptive legal location, parcel number; no evidence supporting pre-1919 water use)
What Do You Need to Try to Receive a Recommendation?
Generally, for ADWR to recommend a use, the use needs to include both a Statement of Claimant (SOC) and a Basis of Right (BOR).
Review the Summary and Analysis of Filing(s) pages of your WFR. If the first page is entirely blank, then ADWR could not locate any filings associated with the water use. The second page will note any discrepancies or missing information of a water right attribute.
To understand how to read your WFR, see Chapter 5 of the Preliminary HSR, as well as Appendix F of the Preliminary HSR.
Adjudication Filings
Statement of Claimant (SOC): Pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-254, an SOC is a form that must be filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to claim water rights in Arizona. If there are multiple uses on a property, a separate SOC will be needed for each type of water use, including domestic, irrigation, stockpond, and other uses.
The landowner and uses should always remain current on the SOC (see Amendment to an SOC and/or Assignment of an SOC).
Assignment of an SOC: By court order, an SOC must be assigned whenever there is a change in ownership of the land for which a water right claim was made.
Amendment of an SOC: Any correction of information on an already filed SOC, other than a change in ownership.
Report
The purpose of the Preliminary HSR is to provide water users with the opportunity to: (1) inspect the information that ADWR has gathered pertaining to water right claims and uses in the Sycamore Subwatershed, and (2) make a claim for a water right if they have not previously done so or make changes to existing claims. Water users who have already filed a Statement of Claimant may also provide comments on any portion of the Preliminary HSR for ADWR’s consideration.
Preliminary HSR and associated documents
Please note: only claimants may submit comments
Find Your WFR
Sycamore Subwatershed Preliminary HSR Interactive Map
The Sycamore Subwatershed Preliminary HSR Interactive Map is an online web application that allows the public to locate reports about individual water uses, known as Watershed File Reports (“WFRs”).
How to Understand Your WFR:
Click the sample image below to view an example of a WFR with explanatory text.
Helpful Information
To view these in a printable document click here.
The Preliminary HSR describes the procedures of and investigative work done by ADWR regarding historical and current water uses in the Sycamore Subwatershed, which is a part of the larger Verde River Watershed. Watershed File Reports (WFRs
) contain the detailed investigation results of individual water uses and/or claims within the Sycamore Subwatershed. The investigative findings will assist the Adjudication Court in determining the nature, extent, and relative priority of water rights in the Sycamore Subwatershed.
You, or someone who previously lived at your address, have claimed a water right in the Gila River General Stream Adjudication, filed an application or claim for a surface water use, registered a well, or are using water within the Sycamore Subwatershed.
Therefore, you received a Notice of Publication because ADWR published a Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report for the Sycamore Subwatershed. These investigative findings will assist the Adjudication Court in determining the nature, extent, and relative priority of water rights in the Sycamore Subwatershed.
The Maricopa and Apache County Superior Courts of Arizona are determining the extent and priority of water rights claimed in certain watersheds, including the Sycamore Subwatershed within the Verde River Watershed. This legal proceeding is called a General Stream Adjudication.
Any person or entity who uses water or has made a claim to use water on property within the Sycamore Subwatershed may be affected by the Court’s decisions in the General Stream Adjudication.
You can use ADWR’s Sycamore Subwatershed Preliminary HSR Interactive Map to search for your address or parcel number and view the corresponding WFR. Instructions and a detailed video on how to navigate the interactive map and understand the information within a WFR are available on the ADWR Website at: https://azwater.gov/adjudications/sycamorehsr.
The Adjudication Court required the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR
) to give notice of the Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (Preliminary HSR
) for the Sycamore Subwatershed to persons who filed a Statement of Claimant (SOC
) for water uses within the Sycamore Subwatershed and to any non-claimant water users within the Sycamore Subwatershed.
You have received the Notice because you, or someone who previously lived at your address, have claimed a water right in the Gila River General Stream Adjudication, filed an application or claim for a surface water use, registered a well, or are using water on a property located within the Sycamore Subwatershed.
The General Stream Adjudication is a judicial proceeding to determine the extent and priority of water rights in certain river systems in Arizona. ADWR serves as the technical advisor to the Maricopa and Apache County Superior Courts for the Gila River and Little Colorado River General Stream Adjudications. ADWR performs work, including drafting reports, within its area of expertise as directed by the Adjudication Court and as authorized by the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.
) § 45-256.
According to A.R.S. § 45-251, a general adjudication is … an action for the judicial determination or establishment of the extent and priority of the rights of all persons to use water in any river system and source.
The Adjudication Court will determine the water rights of the people using water within the Verde River Watershed. Additional information can be found on the Adjudication Court’s website at:
https://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/SuperiorCourt/GeneralStreamAdjudication/
As technical advisor to the Court, ADWR cannot provide legal advice. If you have additional questions after receiving the Notice of Publication, ADWR recommends that you seek legal advice from an attorney. If you are a water user in the Sycamore Subwatershed, an attorney may recommend that you file a Statement of Claimant (SOC
) and file appropriate paperwork with ADWR’s Surface Water Section to form a basis of right (if you have not already done so).
If you are already a claimant, you may also file comments on this report, but you are not required to do so. Comments on this Preliminary HSR must be received by ADWR on, or before, September 4, 2026. The Comment Form is available to download at:
https://infoshare.azwater.gov/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-32892
The Comment Form can also be submitted online at: https://www.azwater.gov/adjudications/sycamorehsr.
A Statement of Claimant, also referred to as an SOC, is a claim for water right filed in one of the Arizona General Stream Adjudications.
The filing of a completed SOC form serves as an official claim of a water right and makes the filer a party to the General Stream Adjudication. Receipt by ADWR of the notarized form along with the appropriate filing fee officially enters the claim in the applicable General Stream Adjudication in which the validity of the claim for water rights will be determined. Currently, there are two ongoing General Stream Adjudications – one for the Little Colorado River and the other for the Gila River. The Sycamore Subwatershed and its Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (Preliminary HSR
) are part the Gila River General Stream Adjudication in Contested Case No. W1-00-000106.
Anyone who uses or has used water from a well, spring, stream, lake, or other impoundment for any purpose within the boundary of either of the areas currently subject to a General Stream Adjudication can file an SOC.
Anyone who receives their water from a municipal system, water company, association, irrigation district, or other such entity may not need to file a claim for water rights if the water supplier files the water right claim. Contact your water provider for questions about whether the supplier has filed an SOC on your behalf.
As technical advisor to the Court, ADWR cannot provide legal advice. If you have questions regarding how the General Stream Adjudication may impact you, please consult an attorney.
The Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (Preliminary HSR
) does not have any immediate impact on anyone’s water use, nor does it determine anyone’s water rights. However, the investigative findings will assist the Adjudication Court in determining the nature, extent, and relative priority of water rights in the Sycamore Subwatershed
ADWR cannot provide legal advice. If you have questions about how the General Stream Adjudication may impact you, you may seek legal advice from an attorney.
The Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (Preliminary HSR
) applies to certain water uses within the Sycamore Subwatershed. To determine which property is included in the Preliminary HSR, please use ADWR’s Sycamore Subwatershed Preliminary HSR Interactive Map to search by the Watershed File Report (WFR
) numbers you received via mail. If you did not receive WFR numbers, you can search for your address or parcel number (APN
). The Interactive Map is available at:
Comments on the Preliminary HSR must be received by ADWR on or before September 4, 2026.
Claimants who wish to provide additional information (e.g. identifying a use or filing associated with the property that was not included in the WFR, updating current address, providing records for uses lacking supporting documentation, etc.) must do so six months prior to the issuance of the Final HSR on March 12, 2027.
In other words, you have until September 12, 2026 to submit information or filings (e.g., Surface Water Filings, Statements of Claimant (SOCs
), or requests for assignment and/or amendments, etc.), with ADWR.
Generally, an Assignment
form can be used when there is a change of ownership and an Amendment
form can be used when a correction needs to be made.
- Questions on Statements of Claimant? Please contact [email protected] or (602) 771-8634. More information is available at: https://www.azwater.gov/adjudications
- Questions on Surface Water Filings? Please contact [email protected] or (602) 771-8621. More information is available at:https://www.azwater.gov/surface-water/surface-water-overview
- Questions on Well Registration Filings? Please contact [email protected] or (602) 771-8527. More information is available at: https://www.azwater.gov/permitting-wells
ADWR will issue a Final HSR for the Sycamore Subwatershed, currently scheduled to be issued on March 12, 2027. Water users who have filed an SOC in the Gila Adjudication will have the opportunity to object to the Final HSR. Then, the Adjudication Court will organize each Proposed Water Right (PWR
) described in the Final HSR, with any objections, and initiates contested cases which are litigated separately. At the conclusion of all contested case proceedings, the Adjudication Court issues a final judgement, referred to as a decree.
An electronic version of the Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (Preliminary HSR
) can be found on ADWR’s website at:
https://infoshare.azwater.gov/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-31294
or can be viewed in person at ADWR, located at 1110 W. Washington St., Suite 310 Phoenix, AZ 85007.
The cost to purchase a printed copy of the Preliminary Hydrographic Survey Report (Preliminary HSR
), including all WFRs, is $1,462.23 and can be ordered and picked up from ADWR. If mailed, the purchaser must cover the cost of shipping. Any water user may request the Watershed File Report(s) (WFR
) associated with their water use(s) and receive the first twenty pages at no cost. Every page thereafter will be $0.25. Any person requesting a printed copy of a WFR not associated with their property will be assessed $0.25 per page. Please allow up to ten business days for processing requests for print or electronic versions, which may be purchased by calling (602) 771-8634 or (866) 246-1414 (toll free) or emailing [email protected].
If you have accessibility or translation needs, please reach out to us at [email protected]
File an SOC online here: Constituent Portal
To file an Amendment or Assignment, please download the forms here.
Forms are also available upon request to ADWR at the following address and telephone number:
Arizona Department of Water Resources
1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 310
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Telephone: 1-866-246-1414
Fax: 602-771-8686
All Surface Water Filings may be submitted using the Constituent Portal
To find downloadable versions of the Surface Water Filings forms, visit here