Arizona considers limits on groundwater pumping amid aquifer decline

State officials in Arizona are evaluating proposals to limit groundwater extraction by a Saudi-owned dairy company whose pumping has contributed to significant aquifer decline — highlighting water-supply stress and regulatory responses.

A tractor rolls across an alfalfa field in Vicksburg, Ariz, owned by Fondomonte, a Saudi company that farms on thousands of acres in western Arizona, where the state is considering regulating groundwater pumping.

A Saudi-owned dairy company grows hay on thousands of acres in the Arizona desert. Its pumping of groundwater is drawing down aquifer levels, sparking concerns among residents and state officials.

The company is allowed to pump unlimited amounts of water, but state regulators are considering measures to preserve the declining supply. A plan to regulate the area’s water is controversial.

VICKSBURG, Ariz. — Lush green fields of alfalfa spread across thousands of acres in a desert valley in western Arizona, where a dairy company from Saudi Arabia grows the thirsty crop by pulling up groundwater from dozens of wells.

The company, Fondomonte, is the largest water user in the Ranegras Plain groundwater basin, shipping hay overseas to feed its cows in the Middle East. Like other landowners in the area, it has been allowed to pump unlimited amounts from the aquifer, even as water levels have declined.