Giant Arizona farm agrees to use less water amid growing scarcity

One of the largest agricultural operations in Arizona agreed to use less water and pay $11 million in a deal that state officials said would help preserve lost groundwater and provide financial assistance to residents whose wells have run dry.

Arizona Lawyer. Gen. Kris Mayes announced Thursday a binding legal agreement with Minnesota-based dairy company Riverview LLP, saying it is the first of its kind in the country.

“This agreement sets a new precedent in Arizona, where businesses commit to being good neighbors to the communities in which they operate and making meaningful efforts to reduce the pumping of our most valuable resource,” Mayes said. “Today’s announcement is immediate and concrete action to address increasingly dangerous groundwater depletion in rural parts of our state.”

In the Willcox area of ​​southeastern Arizona’s Sulfur Springs Valley, where Riverview operates a huge dairy and farming operation, groundwater levels have been falling rapidly over the past decade.

The company began purchasing land in the region in 2014 and More than 37,000 acres. Arizona Republic in 2019 investigation It revealed that the company had 420 wells, some drilled half a mile deep. Riverview expanded its dairy operation while growing wheat, alfalfa and corn for its cattle.

As water levels decrease, some residents wells dried up, They force them to install tanks and pay for trucked water until new wells are drilled.

Under the agreement, Riverview will phase out irrigating 2,000 acres of crops over 12 years.

The company will contribute $11 million to cover the cost of hauling water, installing tanks or drilling replacement wells for residents, schools and local water systems.

In a written statement, Riverview said it “values ​​the stewardship of land and water,” recognizes the region’s water issues and wants to “be part of the solution.”

Mayes announced the deal at a meeting in the Cochise County community of Pearce, telling residents and farmers that the company had launched an investigation into its water use after hearing people’s fears about the increasing number of dry wells and collapsing ground damaging roads and homes. He recalled some telling him at a meeting in 2024 that they feared their communities would become uninhabitable if the water ran out.

He said it took a year of “tough negotiations” with the company to reach the agreement. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a start and could be a model for other large farms to rein in excessive water use, Mayes said.

Mayes negotiated with the company while pursuing a lawsuit against another large company to limit water use. He is suing Fondomonte, a Saudi Arabian dairy company. Hay grows on thousands of acres of land Overpumping in western Arizona allegedly causes groundwater depletion, soil subsidence and deterioration of water quality, constituting an illegal “public nuisance.”

There are large farming operations extended in Arizona for the last twenty years global warming It is increasingly straining the region’s scarce water. Scientists using satellite data have been using satellite data since 2003. amount of groundwater consumed The amount of water in the Colorado River Basin is comparable to the total capacity of Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir.

Until recently, agricultural companies and investors were allowed to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater in most rural areas of Arizona.

But since Gov. Katie Hobbs takes office in 2023, she has been trying to stop overpumping in places where groundwater is severely depleted.

Efforts to pass reforms in the state Legislature have so far failed. But last year his administration newly landscaped area It recently appointed five local leaders to serve on an advisory council to help develop a plan to reduce agricultural water use in the region.

Council member Hatch Chilean farmer Ed Curry said that under the plan they developed, groundwater pumping will be reduced by half in the next 50 years.

“We have a reasonable shot at sustainability in this valley,” Curry said, adding that this type of deal brings “a little more hope.”

Cochise County resident Steve Kisiel said water levels in his area have dropped about 150 feet since the 1990s, forcing him to drill a deeper well at his home.

“It affects everyone,” he said. “This is a move in the right direction.”

Environmental advocates praised the agreement with the Riverview dairy. Kevin Moran of the Environmental Defense Fund said it “finally acknowledges the damage that exploitative and unsustainable water pumping is doing to rural Arizona.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said the agreement sets a precedent: “If you use our state’s water, you have a responsibility to protect it.”

But some residents said the announcement did not ease their concerns.

Victoria Sky, who lives near the dairy, said a stream where she once saw turtles had dried up and blamed excessive groundwater pumping.

“There is no water. They have effectively stopped the flow of Türkiye Creek,” he said. “What about wildlife? This is a travesty.”

Gerry Gonzalez, who also farms in Cochise County, said the water they give up for a large farm like Riverview is “a drop in the bucket,” while small farms struggle because they can’t afford to deepen wells.

“We’re stuck because we’re not a megafarm,” he said. “We didn’t have these problems before these guys came along, and now there’s no end to it. They’ll eat it up, but it’ll be a little slower.”

Mayes said the state Legislature has not passed laws “restricting this type of farming” and chose to reach an agreement that he thought would benefit the community and “we can build on that.”

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, not just here but in other parts of the state,” he said. “We can no longer afford to be stupid about water, and this level of agricultural pumping, which clearly harms surrounding neighbors and jeopardizes entire groundwater supplies, is no longer appropriate, especially in light of climate change and our dwindling water supplies.”