Arizona to limit groundwater pumping in hard-hit area

For years, the water table has been dropping below thousands of acres of desert farmland in Western Arizona, where a Saudi Arabian dairy company has been allowed to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater to grow hay for its cows.

But the company and other landowners in the area will now face restrictions due to state officials’ decision to impose regulations.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday that her administration was taking action “to thwart out-of-state special interests draining our state while Arizona families and farmers suffer.”

Fondomonte, part of Saudi dairy giant Almarai, is by far the largest user of water in the region, using dozens of wells to irrigate the alfalfa it ships to the Middle East.

After conducting a review, the state Department of Water Resources designated the Ranegras Plain area, located 100 miles west of Phoenix, as a new “active management area” to protect groundwater.

This isn’t the first time the Democratic governor and his administration have used this approach to curb excessive pumping in rural areas. In January 2025, his administration similarly established a new regulated area around the city of Willcox in southeastern Arizona to limit agricultural pumping.

Hobbs, some residents’ wells dried up In the Ranegras Plain, water levels dropped and the land sank as the aquifer was depleted.

“Unlike politicians of the past, I refuse to bury my head in the sand. I refuse to ignore the problems we face,” Hobbs said Monday. state address status. “We can no longer sit idly by while our rural communities remain unaided. They deserve solutions and security, not another decade of inaction and uncertainty.”

The state’s decision will prohibit landowners from irrigating additional farmland in this part of La Paz County and require those with high-capacity wells to begin reporting how much water they use. This would also bring about other changes, such as establishing a local advisory council and mandating a plan to reduce water use.

State officials reached the decision after receiving more than 400 comments from the public on the proposal, with the overwhelming majority in support. Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. published the decisionThe future of residents and local businesses “depends on protecting limited groundwater resources,” he said.

Water levels in wells in some parts of the region have dropped more than 200 feet in the past 40 years, and pumping has increased in the past decade, according to state data.

some residents He spoke at the hearing last month He said it was wrong for Fondomonte to use water to grow hay and export it to the world. Others said they saw no problem with having a foreign company as a neighbor but believed farms should switch to products that use less water.

In a written statement following the province’s announcement, Fondomonte said it was “committed to progressive, efficient agricultural practices,” supported its farming community and “made significant investments to bring the latest technology to save water” on its farms. The company also said it will comply with state and local regulations.

The company is currently facing a lawsuit filed by the Arizona Attorney. Gen. Kris Mayes claims that over-pumping violates the law by causing groundwater depletion, land subsidence and worsening water quality. This litigation will continue as the state also imposes new regulatory limits.

Holly Irwin, the La Paz County supervisor who has worked for years to protect the county’s water, said she was pleased the state was finally taking action “to stop the bleeding that threatens the vitality of our community.”

“This is a big win,” said Irwin, a Republican. “This will prevent other megafarms from moving into the area and establishing the same operation that Fondamonte is currently running. And it will prevent them from expanding.”

Fondomonte, Arizona began its farming operation in 2014. Saudi Arabia has banned the home growing of alfalfa and other forage crops due to the depletion of the country’s groundwater. As a result, Saudi companies are buying agricultural land abroad.

The company’s lawyer said this It has 3,600 acres of land In this part of Arizona. The company also leases 3,088 acres of agricultural land and 3,163 acres of grazing land in the state.

In addition, he owns 3,375 acres of California farmland near Blythe, which uses Colorado River water to irrigate his alfalfa fields.

Efforts to address groundwater depletion pose complex challenges for communities and government agencies in Arizona, California and other Western states where climate change is increasing pressure on water resources.

Arizona’s current groundwater law, passed in 1980, limits pumping in Phoenix, Tucson and other urban areas. But those rules don’t apply to about 80% of the state, which allows big agribusinesses and investors to drill and pump as many wells as they want.

Hobbs has supported efforts to address overpumping since taking office in 2023. In one step aimed at curbing water use, Fondomonte’s lease agreements were terminated 3,520 acres of state-owned farmland in the Butler Valley in western Arizona. This decision came after the Arizona Republic investigation This revealed that the state was giving Fondomonte discounted, below-market rental rates.

Hobbs said that when he terminated those leases, Fondomonte was “recklessly pumping our groundwater to increase their corporate profits.”