Gov. Hobbs: Fondomonte no longer pumping Arizona water - Arizona's Family

Gov. Hobbs: Fondomonte no longer pumping Arizona water

Saudi farming company no longer pumping Arizona groundwater, Gov. Hobbs says

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A Saudi Arabian farming company is no longer pumping water in western Arizona, months after Gov. Katie Hobbs ended a controversial land lease with Fondomonte Arizona.

“Today is the start of a new chapter for Arizona’s water future,” Gov. Hobbs said in an emailed statement. “I’m not afraid to hold people accountable, maximize value for the state land trust, and protect Arizona’s water security. I am proud to deliver this not just for the La Paz County community, but for the entire state of Arizona, and will continue taking decisive action to protect Arizona’s water so we can thrive for generations to come.”

Gov. Hobbs and the Arizona State Land Department made the announcement on Thursday.

Fondomonte had been growing alfalfa in the Butler Valley groundwater basin in the desert west of Phoenix, then shipping the hay to the Middle East. The company leased 3,500 acres of land at $25 per acre and, under existing state law, was allowed to pump as much groundwater as needed at no additional cost.

And even as states that draw water from the Colorado River basin work to address shortages, corporate farms in rural Arizona continue pumping millions of gallons of water. State records show that Fondomonte used 5.3 billion gallons of water in 2022 alone.

Last April, state officials rescinded approval for two new deepwater wells that would have been able to pump 3,000 gallons of water per minute.

Then, in October, Gov. Hobbs accused Fondomonte of violating the terms of its lease by pumping “unchecked amounts of groundwater” out of Arizona. She terminated one lease “due to an uncured default” and said the state would not renew three other leases with Fondomonte that were set to expire in February.

Fondomonte said at the time that the company was “adhering to all conditions of the lease,” and that the cancellation would set a “dangerous precedent for all farmers on state land leases.” Hobbs says Fondomonte appealed the cancellation, which is still pending.

Even so, the state says that as of Feb. 15, Fondomonte was no longer irrigating on any of its four leases and has begun taking steps to vacate the property.

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