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Mayes to sue using public nuisance laws to stop groundwater pumping from corporate farms

Close up of a bale of hay
Getty Images
Alfalfa hay bale

Attorney General Kris Mayes announced she’ll file a lawsuit in the coming weeks to halt the pumping of groundwater in two rural areas by corporate farms.

She focused on Riverview Dairy in Cochise County and the Saudi Arabian company Fondomonte, which cultivates alfalfa farms in La Paz county and sends the crop back for cattle. One of Fondomonte’s leases was terminated but not all.

Mayes argues the mass pumping of groundwater is creating a public nuisance.

"This one doesn't expire until 2030. What are we going to do, allow the Saudis to completely dewater La Paz County? Is that fair to the people of La Paz County or to Arizona? I don't think so," Mayes said.

Mayes says while there is no law that limits groundwater use in rural areas, it is illegal for a property owner to create a nuisance affecting others.

Greg Hahne started as a news intern at KJZZ in 2020 and returned as a field correspondent in 2021. He learned his love for radio by joining Arizona State University's Blaze Radio, where he worked on the production team.