Attorney General Kris Mayes has initiated legal action against Fondomonte Arizona, LLC, claiming that the company's extensive groundwater extraction in La Paz County contravenes Arizona's public nuisance law. The lawsuit contends that this activity endangers public health and safety in the Ranegras Plain Basin area.
Filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, the complaint states that Fondomonte's groundwater pumping has led to declining water levels and increased land subsidence. This situation reportedly affects all individuals who depend on the basin for their water supply. According to the complaint, these activities fall under the definition of a public nuisance as per Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2917, which describes it as any action harming health or obstructing property use within a community.
"Fondomonte’s unsustainable groundwater pumping has caused devastating consequences for the Ranegras Plain Basin, putting the health and future of the residents of La Paz County at risk," stated Attorney General Mayes. "Arizona law is clear: no company has the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain."
The lawsuit highlights that since 2014, Fondomonte has extracted significant amounts of groundwater—about 31,196 acre-feet in 2023 alone—to cultivate alfalfa primarily for export to Saudi Arabia. For perspective, one-acre foot can provide enough water for three single-family homes over a year. This level of extraction is said to have hastened the depletion of the basin's aquifer considerably.
The State seeks a judicial declaration identifying Fondomonte's operations as a public nuisance. It also aims to secure an injunction against further excessive pumping by the company and demands the creation of an abatement fund.
A copy of the complaint is available here.