-Arizona Groundwater Restrictions Imposed in Critical Area
For years, the water table has been dropping beneath thousands of acres of desert farmland in western Arizona, where a Saudi-owned 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 limits under a decision by state officials to impose regulation.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday that her administration is acting to ”crack down on the out-of-state special interests that are pumping our state dry while Arizona families and farmers suffer.”
Fondomonte, part of the Saudi dairy giant almarai, is by far the largest water user in the area, using dozens of wells to to irrigate alfalfa that it ships overseas 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 preserve the groundwater.
This isn’t the first time the Democratic governor and her administration have used this approach to curb excessive pumping in a rural areas. In January 2025, her administration similarly established a new regulated area to limit agricultural pumping around the city of Willcox in southeastern arizona.
Hobbs pointed out that some residents’ wells have gone dry as water levels have plummeted in the Ranegras Plain, and that the land has been sinking as the aquifer is 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 in her state of the state address. “We can no longer sit idly by while our rural communities go without help. They deserve solutions and security, not another decade of inaction and uncertainty.”
The state’s action will prohibit landowners from irrigating any additional farmland in this part of La paz County and require those with high-capacity wells to start reporting how much water they use. It also will bring other changes, forming a local advisory council and requir“`html
Arizona Groundwater Crackdown: Fondomonte Farms and Water Rights
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Arizona officials are intensifying efforts to regulate groundwater pumping, particularly targeting large agricultural operations like Fondomonte farms, amid concerns about declining water levels in the state. The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) recently denied a key permit renewal for Fondomonte, escalating a long-running dispute over water usage in la Paz County.
Fondomonte Farms and the ADWR Decision
Fondomonte Farms,a subsidiary of Canada-based Crystal Geyser Water Company,faced a denial of its Assured Water Supply Program (AWSP) permit renewal by the ADWR on january 12,2026. This decision effectively limits the company’s ability to continue pumping groundwater at its current rate.
The AWSP program requires developers to demonstrate a 100-year assured water supply before receiving permits for new developments. While Fondomonte isn’t a new progress,the renewal process triggered a review of its water usage and its impact on the local aquifer.The ADWR resolute Fondomonte did not meet the requirements for continued operation under the program. the official decision letter from the ADWR details the findings and rationale behind the denial.
Example: The ADWR’s decision letter states that Fondomonte’s proposed mitigation plan was “insufficient to demonstrate a long-term, reliable water supply” and that continued pumping at the requested levels would “likely contribute to further groundwater decline.”
Groundwater Depletion in La paz County
Groundwater levels in parts of La Paz County have been declining for decades,raising concerns about the sustainability of agriculture and the availability of water for future generations. Data from the ADWR shows that water levels in some wells have dropped by more than 200 feet as the 1980s.
Increased pumping, particularly in recent years, has exacerbated the problem. According to the 2025 La paz county Groundwater Report, total groundwater pumping in the county increased by 15% between 2015 and 2025. This increase is largely attributed to the expansion of agricultural operations, including Fondomonte Farms.
Statistic: the report indicates that agricultural pumping accounts for approximately 85% of total groundwater withdrawals in La Paz County.
Resident Concerns and Legal Challenges
Local residents have voiced strong concerns about the impact of groundwater pumping on their wells and the overall health of the aquifer. Some residents testified at a December 2025 hearing that they have experienced declining well levels and have been forced to deepen their wells at significant expense.
Fondomonte Farms has indicated it intends to challenge the ADWR’s decision in court. The company argues that the denial is based on flawed data and that its operations are not substantially contributing to groundwater depletion.A statement released by Fondomonte farms on January 13, 2026, outlines the company’s legal strategy and its commitment to continuing agricultural production in Arizona.
Quote: “We believe the ADWR’s decision is unwarranted and based on a misinterpretation of the facts,” said a Fondomonte Farms spokesperson in the January 13th statement.”We are confident that we will prevail in court.”
Broader Implications for Arizona Water Management
The dispute over Fondomonte farms’ water rights highlights the challenges facing Arizona as it seeks to manage its limited water resources. The state is grappling with a