What should Jerry know about the land he wants to buy inside an INA for his ranch?

Jerry should understand that to irrigate land inside an Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA) in Arizona, he must adhere to specific regulations that govern water usage. The requirement that he needs to buy land that was historically irrigated between 1975 and 1979 is crucial because it allows him to qualify for irrigation rights under Arizona water law. This time frame is significant since it marks a period when certain water conservation and management rules were being established and the state made determinations about valid irrigation rights.

Buying land that meets this historical irrigation criterion ensures that Jerry can legally continue to grow crops using groundwater from an established well, as the rights tied to historical irrigation provide him with some protection and legitimacy under the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) regulations.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the restrictions and requirements associated with purchasing land within an INA. For instance, irrigating without restrictions is not permitted due to the specific constraints aimed at managing water resources sustainably. Similarly, converting the land to an Active Management Area (AMA) involves a different regulatory framework and does not inherently provide irrigation rights, and the full rights to well use are not indiscriminately granted upon purchase of any land in an INA, reflecting the regulatory complexities in Arizona