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PHOENIX — A Senate panel approved a compromise plan Thursday to allow residents of the upper San Pedro Valley to create a new layer of government to cut water use, restrict growth and possibly levy a tax.

Backers of the legislation say it is the only way to ensure water continues to flow in the river. But they conceded the real aim is to save Fort Huachuca, which could be severely curtailed, or even shut down, if the river's water supply remains endangered.

The 6-1 vote by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Rural Affairs came over the objections of Mary Ann Black, a supervisor in the Hereford Natural Resources Conservation District.

"This whole thing is a scare tactic to create a taxing authority and create power and authority for a certain elite group in our community," she said.

Black said those pushing the plan have refused to acknowledge water-conservation measures being enacted in the area, including some by her organization. She said the groundwater level can be kept from declining with actions less drastic than creating the special water district.

But Herb Guenther, director of the state Department of Water Resources, said a water district is the only way to ensure water-conservation goals are met. The district would encompass Fort Huachuca, Sierra Vista, Huachuca City, Tombstone and the San Jose section of Bisbee, along with all the unincorporated area in between.

Rep. Jennifer Burns, R-Tucson, warned federal officials have said unless the water situation changes, the military base and its $3 billion annual economic impact are in danger.

Only Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, sided with Black.

"We're being politically blackmailed," she said, referring to the threats to close Fort Huachuca. She said a special district with taxing power "should be established only when a water crisis exists," something Johnson does not believe has been shown.

But Sen. Jake Flake, R-Snowflake, said the special district will exist only if voters in the affected area approve.

Guenther said the legislation could become the framework to help other rural areas, such as the Verde Valley south of Flagstaff.

The measure is not expected to have much opposition when it goes to the full Senate if some changes are made. One is a demand by developers to spell out in statute that the district board would not have the right to change zoning.

At the heart of the issue is a requirement the area show "sustainable yield" by 2011, the point at which the amount of water being pumped out of the ground is matched by the amount being recharged. That is designed to keep water in the river, something necessary to protect the endangered species in the watershed.

Failure to meet that deadline would put Fort Huachuca out of compliance with its agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That would not just prevent future growth of base operations but could put the fort in jeopardy of being closed.

One option is to enhance natural recharge with basins to capture the natural runoff.

But Sen. Marsha Arzberger, D-Willcox, said it probably will take more to keep water in the ground and in the river. She said one possibility is pumping water from elsewhere, possibly the underground mines in Bisbee.

That could prove expensive, which is why the legislation includes the possibility of a tax of 50 cents for every 1,000 gallons of water sold in the district. Based on figures from Sierra Vista that the average resident uses about 145 gallons a day, that could mean more than $26 a year per resident.

The legislation also would ban new subdivisions unless there is an adequate water supply.

Arzberger said that should not be difficult to prove, as there is ample groundwater in the basin.

She said the issue is keeping that groundwater level from declining to the point where the San Pedro River disappears.