Arizona Attorney General Mayes Revokes Water Permits For Saudi Arabia Owned Farm

Good news, everyone! The state of Arizona has decided to cancel the drilling permits for two water wells belonging to a Saudi Arabia-owned alfalfa farm. The reason? They found some inconsistencies in the company's well applications. Attorney General Kris Mayes discovered the discrepancies in the application for new wells of Fondomonte Arizona LLC, a company that exports alfalfa to feed dairy cattle in Saudi Arabia. The company uses sprinklers to grow alfalfa in La Paz County and does not pay for the water they use. When Mayes presented the inconsistencies in the application to state officials, they promptly agreed to rescind the permits that were approved in August. We applaud Mayes for her efforts in ensuring that the water in Arizona is used in a responsible and fair manner. AZFamily.com reported that the two new wells would have pumped up to 3,000 gallons of water per minute. That's a lot of water! An average Phoenix family of four uses roughly 17,000 gallons of water per month, so the two new wells would have pumped in just three minutes what a family of four uses in a month. Several large corporate farms in western and southeastern Arizona have been criticized for using large amounts of water during a severe drought in the southwestern United States. In some cases, these farms have used so much water that neighboring wells have run dry. Arizona also faces the possibility of losing substantial amounts of Colorado River water when the federal government announces new action to combat low water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead. But we are confident that our leaders will come up with solutions to preserve our precious water resources. In the past, La Paz County leaders have expressed concern about companies from the Middle East moving to the state to grow alfalfa that will be shipped overseas. They worry that these companies are exploiting Arizona's groundwater law that allows farms to pump as much water as they want in a time of drought. But let's not forget to celebrate this small victory for the environment and the people of Arizona. We are optimistic that we can find a balance between agricultural needs and water conservation efforts. After all, we need water to make beer, and we all know that nothing brings people together like a cold brew!