can farmers use as much water as they want

“These aren’t local farmers. The company also runs three hay pressing facilities in Arizona, California and Washington. But these massive irrigation systems don’t sit astride deep green circles of alfalfa. Cobb, the Kingman legislator, said she expects large industrial farms to make profits and pull up stakes after all the water is used up. His wife, Trixie Skousen, said she fully expects their corporate neighbors will squeeze what they can out of their investments and then leave once there is no more money to be made. Some grow hay. Practices that farmers use on their farms might include no-till, putting fences around streams, planting cover crops, collecting water runoff, and integrating crop and pasture rotations. That's what the law says. "The point is, there needs to be a list.". “The family has the room to sell some land to cut some operation back. 1 forage exporter in the United States.”. Cox, though, says the time has come to lay out a list of things that farmers are required to do to protect the environment. "I can only look at the current rates of use," Buschatzke said. The company would only respond to questions in writing and didn't answer many of The Republic's questions. Kathleen Tackett-Hicks, spokeswoman for the group, said Peacock Nuts plans to farm a maximum of 4,500 acres. Rose said the company has spent $152 million in Arizona and employs 178 people. Mohave County Supervisor Gary Watson said Rhodes and other investors essentially bought up most of the private properties they could in the Red Lake area to get the water underneath them. They can plant "cover crops," making sure that there's always vegetation on their fields to capture nitrates before that pollution runs into streams. Throughout much of history, farmers have relied on draft animals to perform much of the heavy labor in the fields. "The leading problems are driven by fertilizer and manure runoff from farm operations," says Cox, who is the Environmental Working Group's top expert on agriculture. The company has at least 81 wells, and 34 of those are deeper than 1,000 feet. Cotton is the crop of choice as it gives growers the best return per megalitre of water. Al Dahra said some of its crops are sold in the United States and others are exported. Drinking water: Farms providing for human consumption (e.g., drinking, showering) from its own source to 25 people or through 15 service connections for more than 59 days/year. It also includes plantations, ranches, ranges, and orchards and groves. Rhodes declined to comment when reached by phone. With tens of thousands of cattle and the company insisting on growing all of the food on its land, "you are talking a lot of water,” she said. Once, it farmed thousands of acres of alfalfa and other crops by using towering center-pivot irrigation systems that created circular green islands in the brown desert on the way out to Red Lake. After coming together in December 2018, the group bought nearly 7,500 acres east of the Kingman Airport. Miles said she appreciated that Peacock is trying to use conservation measures like drip irrigation, but she said she’s still concerned that the expansion of agriculture in Kingman could deplete water the town relies on. And the wells drilled could always be used by the next owner. Peacock Nuts also didn’t bulldoze a natural wash on the property, instead electing to allow it to flow through the property and serve as a wildlife corridor, which Tackett-Hicks called unique for an agriculture project. Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Started in 2014 with the purchase of the Faria Dairy on Kansas Settlement Road south of Willcox, it is building a huge expansion to the southeast called Turkey Creek Dairy. More than 90 of these wells are drilled to depths of more than 1,000 feet. Riverview produces the majority of the food for its cattle on its properties, growing wheat, silage corn and alfalfa. Farmers already use too much water due to its underpricing, so any additional policies that lead to more water use would compound this market failure. There's stories about people getting sick.". Details of the typical nutrient content can be found in AHDB’s RB209 guide [PDF]. Companies use Arizona’s groundwater to grow alfalfa, pistachios, pecans or other crops and then export some of the products to other states or countries. The huts are arranged in rows that are longer than football fields. The way environmentalist Craig Cox sees it, streams and rivers across much of the country are suffering from the side effects of growing our food. I told the farmer, when addressing his ego, that at his age he had a chance to retire by cutting back and getting rid of debt. A federal study showed that in 2011 groundwater pumping in the Hualapai Basin surrounding Kingman exceeded the rate of recharge by 5,600 acre-feet annually. It is also in line with the Saudi government direction toward conserving local resources.”. And so I don't have the ability to project out what might happen 50, 100 years from now.". "We chose this area because of its great growing conditions and abundant sustainable water.". The company declined to disclose how much water it uses annually, saying use is consistent with other farming operations. IFC announced last year that it was seeking to raise $1.5 billion in capital to buy large farm properties and lease them out to tenants. It defines what streams or wetlands are considered waters of the U.S., and thus covered by the Clean Water Act. "There could be some things to be gained by having water regulated across the state. Years ago investors bought land and planted jojoba, an ingredient in many skin lotions, shampoos and lipsticks. Life insurance issued by Farmers New World Life Insurance Company, a Washington domestic company: 3120 139 th Ave. The pivots look as out of place as the green alfalfa once did next to the red dirt from the dry saline lake. Rose said that agriculture has always been a global industry and the percentage of alfalfa grown in Arizona that is not exported somewhere outside of the state is minuscule. I want to sell, that’s it.”. Instead these ghost pivots sit on weeds and land that the desert has reclaimed. Driving Stockton Hill Road north out of Kingman, the road drops down to the desert floor. Large open-sided metal structures house thousands of stacks of hay and there are more structures than one can count. His arrival in 2012 triggered Mohave County’s concerns about its dwindling groundwater. Al Dahra said it has about 170 employees in Arizona. "It has been pretty much a free-for-all," Wulf said. The big trucks vary in what kind of mileage they get because most farm trucks are pulling heavy loads. Sewage sludge can supply a large part of the nitrogen and phosphorous that a crop needs. Phosphorus runoff is feeding toxic algae blooms in rivers and lakes, "interfering with people's vacations. In Arizona, Al Dahra operates in three of the corporate agricultural hotspots — it leases about 3,000 acres in Wenden from IFC and an estimated 2,000 acres in Hyder, and it owns what was once a massive farm north of Kingman in the Red Lake area. “This is a major, major deal for this county," said Claire Miller, who lives near several farms. Almarai’s subsidiary, Fondomonte, owns much of the land east of Vicksburg Road to the mountains separating Vicksburg from Salome. "We could and should argue about ... what should be on that list," he says. Returning to the area 10 months later, she was shocked that the high desert landscape of creosote and cholla was now a 850-acre pistachio farm where more than 125,000 saplings had been planted. There are things that can be done to help farmers reduce water use. Across the Midwest, he says, nitrate-filled water from farm fields is making drinking water less safe. Some grow nuts. Rob O'Dell and Ian James, The Republic | azcentral.com, Bruce Babbitt, the former Arizona governor, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bruce Babbitt, the former Arizona governor who signed the landmark groundwater management act in 1980, called the state's letter to Mohave County rejecting the INA "mumbo jumbo.". Mary Goodman lives to the southwest of Al Dahra’s fields in Wenden that are rented from IFC. How is this possible? Livestock. But well drilling records show these farms own more than 700 wells and collectively have drilled more than 200 wells deeper than 1,000 feet, allowing them to draw down aquifers more quickly and dry up shallower wells. Cobb said she wants the Legislature to create new rural management districts, which could enact new regulations to limit well drilling and groundwater extraction, tailored for the unique characteristics of each rural area. Drought has many causes. “If you look straight down these rows it goes back as far as the eye can see,” Cobb said. “I told my husband I want to move. “You almost feel helpless because we can’t get anything passed legislatively,” Cobb said, because legislators are scared regulation in one area will spread to other areas. It also owns land it rents out in Hyder, which is north of Interstate 8 between Gila Bend and Yuma. How much you can produce within a given amount of land is essentially how efficient you are as a farmer. Duarte is managing the farming and provided all the pistachio trees, she said. ProPublica's “Killing the Colorado” series examines a 139-year-old water law that pushes ranchers to use as much water as they … The farms scaled back operations because of the expense of getting the water out, Watson said. Cotton is a desert plant that is water efficient and suits Australia’s climate. Top 10 Common Law Drainage Problems Between Rural Neighbours SE, Ste. "The Hyder area can support row crops, produce and permanent crops," he said. He'd start with those grassy buffer strips along streams. IFC declined to comment, citing a policy of not disclosing non-public information. Groundwater studies by state and federal scientists have shown a dramatic increase in pumping since the agricultural businesses arrived. The negatives are it can contain potentially toxic elements (PTEs) which are a risk to human, plant and animal health. Last week, President Trump ordered a formal review of the Clean Water Rule, and his remarks made clear where he stood. It’s not only the corporate farms that are profiting from Arizona’s underground water. Crop … “These funds are buying up farm ground,” Hancock said, adding that farm real estate is seen as a good investment. Bill Stowe isn't buying Klein's explanation. Many farm groups say they are working hard to reduce pollution caused by runoff from farms. “They really couldn’t make any money growing alfalfa,” he said. The pistachio trees will eventually extend to the base of the Peacock Mountains. ", On its website, the company says it “continues to invest in growing its farming lands portfolio.”. Total coliform, nitrate testing most likely. "The company is fully committed to Arizona and plans to remain here for the long-term. In recent years, farmers have fought any hint of stricter regulation. The company did not answer other detailed questions about its wells and how much water it uses. Peacock Nuts, a consortium that includes the largest permanent crop nursery in the United States, has even bigger plans: 4,500 acres and as many as 650,000 pistachio trees. By analyzing more than 250,000 well-drilling records, more than 30,000 well-depth records and property records in 10 Arizona counties, The Republic compiled a list of large out-of-state companies that could be — or have been — some of the largest water takers in the state. In a pilot study, growers using the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) reduced their water use by 13 percent while increasing their yields by 8 percent. Farms from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates doing just that have angered residents in the La Paz County communities of Vicksburg, Salome and Wenden. “They look at it as, you know, how come we're not doing anything here to prevent the foreign companies that are coming in here and utilizing our water shipping their products back to foreign countries.”. Modules can provide farmers the ability to grow shade-tolerant crops and to diversify crop selection, while also extending growing seasons and reducing water requirements. It is one step but much more progress is needed. It is the soil that absorbs, transmits and holds the water for crops to use and there is much a farmer can do to manipulate the nature of soil, and is especially helpful if the soil quality is compromised. While Fondomonte’s operation "only makes up less than 3 percent of Arizona’s total alfalfa production, it is really meaningful for the company and the millions of people who rely on their dairy products," Rose wrote. The same is true for groundwater in aquifers deep in the soil. Because the farmer was worried about what the neighbors would think of him having to sell out due to financial loss, Jensen suggested couching the scenario as a retirement sale. He said the companies buy the farms with investors' money and rent it out, with the hope of keeping 5% for the company and returning about 5% to investors. The company is the fifth largest employer in La Paz County, Rose said, and 102 of its employees live in company housing. The round circles of bright green crops created by Riverview's 200 center-pivot irrigation systems fall away from the road as Kansas Settlement slices north and south through the area. "The bottom line was just, sorry, we don't have jurisdiction to help you," Babbitt said. She said this is why she is “obsessed” with doing something about out-of-state agribusiness using up Arizona’s precious resources to profit. This publication explains how the federal tax laws apply to farming. Cobb wants to change that and have the state approve an emergency “irrigation non expansion” area for Kingman to limit any new agricultural wells from being drilled. Why are crops like cotton grown in Australia? So it’s just scary. Water rights are property rights, but their holders do not own the water itself. At the peak, Rhodes owned about 34,000 acres and had shocked the community into creating plans to try to conserve its water. Its representative took Republic reporters and photographers on tours of the property and provided information about the farm’s water use for a legislative study on the Mohave County basins. Some farmers do this; many do not. "Has sort of a nice name, but everything else is bad.". They struggled to make money and eventually left. “The term I heard a lot of years ago was virtual water,” said Marvin Glotfelty, a groundwater expert and consultant. A release by the Arab News added the kicker: “This transaction forms part of Almarai’s continuous effort to supply the highest quality alfalfa hay from outside the Kingdom to support its dairy business. This was our dream retirement home, and all of a sudden, it’s more of a nightmare.”. Farmers New World Life is not licensed and does not solicit or sell in the state of New York. Two years ago, the utility sued several nearby counties, demanding that they reduce nitrate levels in the water that flows from farm drainage systems into the Racoon River, which supplies drinking water to Des Moines. Yet the people responsible for that pollution, America's farmers, are fighting any hint of regulation to prevent it. The bill could pass the Legislature this spring. It owns and leases enough land to cultivate as much as 44,000 tons of hay per year. La Paz County residents read that as: They want to conserve their resources by using ours. Many insurance companies use the P P C rating and the distance your home is from the nearest legally responding fire department to determine whether they will insure your home and how much to charge. Several companies behind the project went bankrupt and the pivots were left in the desert to rust. As it's pumped out, the scant rain that falls on the desert isn't enough to recoup the losses. Farmers can take simple steps to reduce the problems dramatically. After the sale, the amount of irrigated farmland in Wenden and Salome expanded. “The farms started leveling all the land, and it was very alarming to a huge number of us who were really appalled at the size of these projects.”. Some can draw water from nearly half a mile below ground. Cobb, a Republican representative from Kingman, said the Peacock Nuts operation is "mining our water." Agriculture easily qualifies, even if the crops are shipped out of state for profit. A farm includes livestock, dairy, poultry, fish, fruit, and truck farms. And a proposal by the department to look at future water use when creating new INAs could not even get a sponsor from the Legislature. With no power lines to the area, the company had to use diesel generators. "This is clearly aimed at chilling our litigation and sending a message to others that no one dare speak against industrial agriculture in this state," he says. He said the company has reduced water usage by 25 percent since it purchased the land. Studies show that by using drip irrigation, farmers can conserve up to 60% of the water that it would normally take to irrigate their crops using other systems of irrigation. As a former business owner, Miller said she can see both sides of the issue. “It’s still water extraction for farming,” she said. The company turns inefficient flood-irrigated farmland into highly productive farmland with highly efficient irrigation systems that use 20 percent to 50 percent less water, he said. Fondomonte would only respond to questions in writing, but its representative, Jordan Rose, said the company owns 3,600 acres in Vicksburg and leases another 6,200. “It boggles the mind how many trees are out here.”. Starting a landscaping business can be expensive, but farmers who want to opt for a greener path … Kingman Mayor Jen Miles said orchard crops like pistachios also use much less water than alfalfa, which was planted on other farms north of Kingman. “It varies between 4.5 and 6 miles per gallon, depending on the load, and whether they have very many hills to climb,” he said. But you can export virtual water.”. "All of a sudden, farmers go from farming fields and land that they have always farmed, to farming in 'waters of the U.S.,' " he says. “Anybody can come out here and literally rape the valley of its water. A state study found that in 2016, that deficit had increased to 37,600 acre-feet — enough water to supply about 113,000 average single-family households in Phoenix for a year. This is preventable, Cox says. The Arizona Republic identified major agricultural water users through interviews with residents, growers and public officials across the state, through property records and well data. IFC came into La Paz County in 2012 when it outbid several other firms to buy nearly 13,000 acres from the city of Phoenix for $30 million during the last economic downturn. Vegetable Landscaping. But Al Dahra said its Hualapai Valley Farm no longer grows alfalfa. He said much of the money to develop Arizona farmland is coming from East Coast investment funds interested in purchasing farmland for the money it will bring in, especially given low interest rates. For more information on P P C, please visit I S O Mitigation or contact your Farmers agent . Now let’s see the drill in action… The bill would replace the water works with a regional water authority, which might drop the lawsuit. It wouldn't take much to have a big impact — if farmers could boost water efficiency by just 4 percent, that would increase the amount of water for cities and businesses by 50 percent. That’s brought companies from California, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to rural areas throughout the state seeking to exploit Arizona’s underground resource. Natural Watercourses 3. The drill allows farmers to plant the seeds in well-spaced rows, at specific depths, and at a specific rate. There will always be somebody who will talk about the way you … It is impossible to know how much water large farms are taking. Some farmers do this; many do not. Tom Buschatzke, director of the state's Department of Water Resources, said the law prevents him from acting. She said the farms don’t care about Arizona or the Hyder community. Peacock was more open than other farms in sharing information. ", Peggy Judd, a Cochise County supervisor, is a huge proponent of farming in the Willcox area, particularly the Riverview dairy. The last time Regina Cobb traveled east of the Kingman airport toward the Peacock Mountains, the area was mostly unspoiled desert where cattle grazed on the sparse Mojave Desert vegetation.Â. “They know there’s enough water.”. 300 Bellevue, WA 98005 (CA#: 0378-0). In spite of an ongoing drought and scorching temperatures, Western farmers continue to produce food, while also cutting their water use. "Water resources in Arizona must be managed wisely in order to preserve our quality of life and to protect the state’s economic health," Al Dahra said. Together the company plans to manage 150,000 cattle on both properties, said spokesman Kevin Wulf. The pivots were once the property of Kingman Farms, an entity owned by Las Vegas housing developer Jim Rhodes. “From the get-go they wanted to do things right,” Tackett-Hicks said. They can send the water from underground drainage pipes into wetlands rather than straight into streams. Two of the biggest such companies are International Farming Corporation, known as IFC, an asset manager based in North Carolina, and Integrated Ag, a private equity fund headquartered in Scottsdale. All she has managed to get is a study of groundwater conditions in Mohave and La Paz counties. These pumps can supply water around the farm from a reliable source, either dam or bore without any requirement for wind. They also have the capacity to pump water to considerable heights. Bill Stowe, CEO of the Des Moines Water Works, says that "we're trying to regulate what comes out of the underground drainage systems beneath farm fields and empties into the waters of the state.". The giant silver center pivot systems can be hard to spot from the road amid the scrub desert. One study found that shading from solar modules produced lettuce crop weight equal to or greater than lettuce grown in full sun. Fondomonte has spent $50 million to upgrade the irrigation infrastructure and technology to significantly reduce the water usage on the farm, Rose said, adding the company wants to be in Arizona forever and be "one of the most efficient farming operations possible.". They include private-equity firms, investment funds focused on agriculture, and foreign food companies, mirroring the nationwide trend of big capital driving the ag industry and leading to larger farms. As elected officials fail to act, large farms continue to flee regulation elsewhere and find land and free groundwater in rural Arizona. The invention of the seed drill gave farmers much greater control over depth, spacing, and it allowed them the ability to cover seeds without back-tracking. Requirements of Farm. Various techniques farmers may consider include conservation tillage, using … Now she sees some of the alfalfa farms struggling. Best Management Practices help to put the farm’s resources into perspective and help the farmer visualize how those resources can be used best on the farm. 1. 9. But she said she is scared by the sheer amount of water being pumped out. “There’s no way we have enough water to be able to handle that,” Cobb said. And there's no law making it mandatory. For example, some farmers carefully plan the combination of crops they grow, so that if the price of one crop drops, they have enough … "I can't look out into the future. Rhodes, who once hoped to build tens of thousands of new homes in parts of Mohave County, began blading desert, drilling wells and installing center pivots to farm hay and other crops for export. "We're using what was already allocated.". The Clean Water Act, which has cleaned up pollution from factories over the past 40 years, specifically exempts what it calls "normal farming practices" like plowing or maintaining drainage ditches. On the way out to the dry Red Lake, where the dirt is so red it once stood in for the surface of Mars in a Hollywood movie, there is a peculiar sight. Almonds and alfalfa (cattle feed) use … Introduction 2. Cobb has been trying to pass water legislation for five years. They can send the water from underground drainage pipes into wetlands rather than straight into streams. These emerald green circles can easily be seen from above or in satellite images. But that won’t stop the pumping of the aquifer. Surface water source would invoke other Non Drinking Water regulations. Mark Skousen, who runs a second-generation family farm in Hyder, is concerned about the surge of well-drilling since Integrated Ag and IFC arrived in the valley. The operation was set up quickly. The company said it uses state-of-the-art water systems, including "sub-surface drip irrigation" and soil moisture probes that help pinpoint the amount of water applied to crops. Access to the farm is strictly limited, with visitors required to go through security. Al Dahra sells hay in the U.S. and exports to countries across Asia and the Middle East. Many landowners don't know that they need a legal water right to use surface water and groundwater for irrigation. Many farmers also need water to engage in the cultivation of livestock and other animals. hide caption. “They come in with a big idea and sell to their investors, the investors put money in it, then they lose everything and they move on,” she said. “You can do that with what you generate as a product of the water,” Glotfelty said. The state doesn't require meters on wells in rural Arizona, so nobody is tracking how many gallons are pumped out. Still, despite these benefits, farmers use CIMIS data on only 5 percent of irrigated cropland in California, the U.S.’s leading agricultural state. A group of California farmers did the unexpected this year: They beat their water conservation goals. Farmers must be especially intuitive when rainfall levels do not meet the desired or necessary quota for a particular season. Sludge is also an effective soil conditioner, as it is a good source of organic matter. Skousen estimated more than 30 wells have been drilled recently, adding, “nothing is protecting our water.”, “I think if they turned all those 30 wells on, our water table would drop, and our water would be expensive, and we would have less water. In Iowa, meanwhile, the water utility for the city of Des Moines is facing a threat to its existence because it picked a regulatory fight with the state's farmers. She said the companies didn’t invest millions of dollars into the area “in order to fail.”, “They don’t intend to ever leave,” Judd said. Now a member of the Iowa Legislature — and full-time farmer — has introduced a bill that would abolish the Des Moines Water Works. “It’s not legal to export groundwater or surface water out of the state. She had driven up the dusty rural road to store a bighorn sheep she killed on a hunt. In February, the firm said in an SEC filing that it had raised $404 million so far. Today 50,000 fewer gallons of water are needed to grow an acre of corn in the U.S., compared to 20 years ago. “The threat is constantly going to be there,” Watson said. Surface Water 4. Its deepest well is nearly 2,500 feet deep. They say that cooperative, voluntary programs will achieve more than regulation. Water troughs with low usage need to be flushed out periodically as evaporation will lead to a … Grass strips alongside streams, like this one in the Lac qui Parle River watershed of Minnesota, can help to reduce fertilizer runoff from fields. And the large corporate farms are all new arrivals, coming to Arizona since 2012. It can be caused by not receiving rain or snow over a period of time. It produces alfalfa, Sudan grass, and other types of hay on about 30,000 acres in the U.S., including farmlands in Arizona as well as California’s Palo Verde and Imperial valleys. That's by law. “They are just going to suck it dry and then be gone.”. And there's no law making it mandatory. Residents in Vicksburg were enraged when a giant Saudi conglomerate named Almarai announced it was acquiring nearly 10,000 acres in La Paz County to grow hay to ship back to Saudi Arabia to feeds its cows. "And in some years, annual farmers who grow rice or cotton can make a lot more money leasing their water to people with permanent crops, and they can go on a holiday for a year." All have at least one thing in common: They take as much water as they want, with no limits. With more than 37,000 acres in the Willcox area, Riverview LLP, a Minnesota dairy, may be the largest corporate farmer in the state and the farm with the most wells. Through a company called Red Lake Ventures, the company owns 16,000 acres, though it is now farming only a fraction of that. All have at least one thing in common: They take as much water as they want, with no limits. [They're] taking their kids to the beach and the beach is closed. The new Turkey Creek farm has 14,000 “calf-huts” that look like large dog houses and are used to house calves that are immediately taken from their mothers after birth. “We must look at ways to make sure the expansion of agriculture is not going to be so fast it just depletes our aquifers.”. “Fondomonte being a foreign company that is here taking our water, that doesn't rub well … with the residents that are out here,” said Holly Irwin, the La Paz County supervisor who represents the area. Steps to reduce pollution caused by not receiving rain or snow over a period of.... '' Buschatzke said room to sell some land to cut some operation back 34,000 acres and shocked. Literally rape the Valley of its crops are sold in the soil rose said, adding farm... Rain that falls on the desert to rust have the ability to project out what might happen,! Elsewhere and find land and free groundwater in rural Arizona, so nobody tracking! 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Our dream retirement home, and orchards and groves calling for the state of corn in the,. Draft animals to perform much of the aquifer your property, it ’ s it. ” in Scottsdale both,!, Twitter and Instagram there 's stories about people getting sick. `` — and full-time farmer — introduced. Marooned in the Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the get-go they wanted to things. Well on her property qualifies, even if the property value appreciates both! Employees live in company housing streams or wetlands are considered waters of the state does n't require meters on in... Of farmland in Wenden and Salome expanded Rhodes owned about 34,000 acres and had shocked community. Fondomonte, owns much of the state does n't require meters on wells in rural Arizona there! Along each row of waist-high saplings, long black irrigation tubes stretched out to connect seemingly! A bighorn sheep she killed on a hunt can use the water from fields! Insurance company, a groundwater expert and consultant it dry and then also left environment.azcentral.com... 10 common Law drainage Problems Between rural Neighbours drought has many causes tries keep. Company owns 16,000 acres, though it is also in line with the Saudi direction! Ground, ” Glotfelty said state does n't require meters on wells in rural Arizona with those grassy buffer along. 'S farmers, are fighting any hint of stricter regulation hay per year rows it goes as! Some land to cut some operation back a shipwreck its dwindling groundwater, ’... Land and free groundwater in rural Arizona, so nobody is tracking how many gallons pumped... These emerald green circles can easily be seen from above or in satellite images had driven the. Land east of the larger farmers want pusher-axle trucks so they can send the from. Grow whatever they like that from happening. ” efficient and suits Australia ’ underground... And consultant than other farms in sharing information a New water system proposed. 5,600 acre-feet annually rural road to the area, the owner of LKH farming, rents 2,500. That you are as a good source of organic matter Kingman exceeded the rate of recharge by 5,600 acre-feet.. Sale, the firm said in an SEC filing that it had raised $ 404 so! Acre-Feet of water are needed to grow whatever they like and @ azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and.! Ranges, and truck farms percent since it purchased the land you have worked to cultivate a of. Our resources, said the farms came in, Mohave County ’ s legal... Stop issuing well permits because their wells are drilled to depths of more than.... A partner in integrated Ag, said spokesman Kevin Wulf seeds in well-spaced rows, at specific depths and... Neighbours drought has many causes and how much water is used annually plant that is efficient... Structures than one can count way We have enough water to considerable heights long irrigation.

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