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Fondomonte

May 27, 2025

AG Mayes defends action against Fondomonte despite coalition of farmers, ranchers and cities

Key Points: The state says Fondomonte, a Saudi-owned alfalfa farm, is creating a public nuisance by excessive groundwater pumping A local coalition is attempting to stop the attorney general from […]

May 14, 2025

Coalition of farmers, cities want to stop Mayes’ groundwater lawsuit

Key Points: Mayes’ lawsuit is aimed at a Saudi-owned alfalfa farm using Arizona water Farmers, cities challenge Mayes’ lawsuit as legally unfounded Case could set precedent affecting all Arizona groundwater […]

Apr 14, 2025

Saudi-owned farm denies legal liability for damage caused by groundwater use

Attorneys for a Saudi-owned alfalfa farm want a judge to toss out a bid by Attorney General Kris Mayes to halt its pumping of groundwater, saying what she is doing […]

Dec 11, 2024

Mayes sues Saudi farm over groundwater usage

Attorney General Kris Mayes is going to court with a largely untested legal theory in a bid to force

May 1, 2024

Gov. Hobbs vetoes bills to curb AG’s groundwater plan

Gov. Katie Hobbs won't let Republican lawmakers strip away the right of Attorney General Kris Mayes to sue the owners of corporate farms whose groundwater pumping dries up the wells of their neighbors.

Mar 29, 2024

No, the Saudis haven’t stopped pumping Arizona groundwater

The law has crippled groundwater regulation in most of the state and large farming operations have been exploiting it for decades. This includes American and foreign-owned companies. Even if the state can stop foreign companies from abusing Arizona’s lax water laws, American mega-dairies and large-scale alfalfa farms will continue to pump the state’s aquifer water at alarming rates.

Feb 26, 2024

Mines exporting to China threaten Arizona’s water

The real issue isn’t foreign demands for commodities that use Arizona’s scarce water. It is that large multi-national companies are receiving special, subsidized treatment to extract scarce resources that could be better used by current and future Arizonans.

Feb 24, 2024

Audit says state leased land to Saudi company at rates below market

State Auditor General Lindsey Perry is blasting the State Land Department for leasing land to a Saudi-owned company in western Arizona for below-market rates and not requiring it to pay for – or even report – the amount of groundwater it has been using.

Jan 6, 2024

Water, housing, abortion, teacher pay could be top issues for lawmakers

It's taken four decades, Saudi cows munching on alfalfa grown with Arizona water and national headlines about whether Arizona is finally drying up.

Hobbs, Trump, director nominations, Senate
Oct 3, 2023

Hobbs defends decision to strip Saudi company of right to lease land to farm alfalfa

Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday defended the decision to strip a Saudi company of its right to lease state land to farm alfalfa for export -- and get the water underneath it free -- but had no answers to what will become of the nearly 3,500 acres after that.

groundwater, Rio Verde, Scottsdale, House, Senate, Kolodin, Kavanagh
Oct 2, 2023

Land department cancels controversial lease of state land to company growing alfalfa

The state Land Department on Monday canceled one of the controversial leases of state land to a company that has been growing alfalfa for export to Saudi Arabia.

alfalfa farm, Saudi Arabia, Arizona water, Mayes
Sep 30, 2023

State’s largest pension fund selling interest in company that owns farm growing alfalfa

The state's largest public pension fund is selling off its interest in a company that owns a 3,000-acre western Arizona farm that grows alfalfa to ship to the Middle East.

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