Arizona Governor Takes Action on Groundwater, Escalates Colorado River Dispute
PHOENIX – Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced a new Assured Water supply Area (AMA) in La Paz County and criticized Upper Colorado River Basin states for failing to propose concrete water conservation plans, escalating the state’s fight to secure its water future. The moves come as Arizona faces ongoing drought conditions and dwindling Colorado River supplies.
The newly designated AMA aims to protect groundwater resources in the rural county, a response to concerns over large-scale agricultural operations depleting local aquifers. Specifically, the action addresses anxieties surrounding Fondomonte, a farm owned by a Saudi Arabian company, whose pumping has been linked to wells drying up in communities like Vicksburg.
“Arizonans first and protect our water from corporate interests profiting at our expense,” stated a press release accompanying the announcement.
La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin praised the governor’s use of existing statutory tools, noting the legislature’s years-long failure to enact groundwater regulation in rural areas. Local rancher Boyce Andersen expressed optimism that state leaders are “listening and looking for ways to protect the water supplies of our farmers and ranchers.” Pastor Carroll E. miles of The Fellowship Baptist Church of Vicksburg, whose church well was impacted by Fondomonte’s operations, welcomed the protections as a long-overdue response to “out-of-state, corporate interests” exploiting Arizona’s water.
Simultaneously, Governor Hobbs sharply criticized the Upper Colorado River Basin states – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming – for their lack of progress in negotiations to reduce water consumption from the shrinking colorado River.
“After years of negotiations…and time running short to cut a deal, we have yet to see any offer or real, verifiable plan to conserve water from the four Upper Basin States,” Hobbs said at the National Water Resources Association Meeting Leadership Forum, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
Arizona, California, and Nevada have already committed to water cuts, but Hobbs deemed the Upper Basin’s position “an unacceptable outcome for Arizona families, farmers and businesses.” She called for intervention from the federal government, urging the Trump administration to “step in, exert leadership and broker a deal” as critical deadlines approach.
