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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsArizona Is in a Race to the Bottom of Its Water Wells, With Saudi Arabia's Help
Arizona Is in a Race to the Bottom of Its Water Wells, With Saudi Arabias Help
Arizonas water is running worryingly low. Amid the worst drought in more than a millennium, which has left communities across the state with barren wells, the state is depleting what remains of its precious groundwater. Much of it goes to private companies nearly free, including Saudi Arabias largest dairy company.
Thanks to fresh scrutiny this year from state politicians, water activists and journalists, the Saudi agricultural giant Almarai has emerged as an unlikely antagonist in the water crisis. The company, through its subsidiary Fondomonte, has been buying and leasing land across western Arizona since 2014. This year The Arizona Republic published a report showing that the Arizona State Land Department has been leasing 3,500 acres of public land to Almarai for a suspiciously low price.
The case has prompted calls for an investigation into how a foreign company wound up taking the states dwindling water supplies for a fee that might be as low as one-sixth the market rate. But the focus on the Saudi scheme obscures a more fundamental problem: pumping groundwater in Arizona remains largely unregulated. Its this legal failing that, in part, allows the Saudi company to draw unlimited amounts of water to grow an alfalfa crop that feeds dairy cows 8,000 miles away.
Even if Fondomonte leaves the state, it will be only a matter of time before Arizona sucks its aquifers dry. While a 1980 state law regulates groundwater use in a handful of urban areas, water overuse is common even in these places. The situation is worse in the roughly 80 percent of Arizonas territory that falls outside these regulations. In most of rural Arizona, whoever has the money to drill a well can continue to pump till the very last drop.
[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/26/opinion/arizona-water-colorado-river-saudi-arabia.html?fbclid=IwAR0IPTLxX3RjsLz0qqWgj25-hYg1aZLgSYNZpuc91TvArW7qYx3upm2joGQ|
2naSalit
(86,896 posts)A red governor.
StarryNite
(9,467 posts)Hopefully Gov Hobbs will be able to do something about this.
Cha
(297,935 posts)Arizona! TY
2naSalit
(86,896 posts)StarryNite
(9,467 posts)their people but they will be begging for their water.
Sogo
(5,013 posts)I wonder what Mexico has to say about that.
StarryNite
(9,467 posts)I meant to put it under this one.
A lot of Arizonans dont want their people but they will be begging for their water. Put up that wall but can we make a deal for your water?
Without the Mexicans Arizona would be in a world of hurt.
BigmanPigman
(51,649 posts)Jared will be giving them loot for 50 years and Ivanka will kiss their asses just as much as her Big Fat Daddy kissed the glowing orb and saved the sabers as souvenirs (are they at Mar A Lardo with the rest of his trophies?).
Bev54
(10,088 posts)in Canada would be more precious than our oil reserves. I have always believed that to be true.
StarryNite
(9,467 posts)Buckeyeblue
(5,505 posts)I think in the next 10 years we will see a great deal of people relocating to Michigan and other great lake states. You get harsh winters, for sure. But you also get beautiful summers. And these states are not going to run out of water.
If I was in AZ, I would be selling my house while there is still value and getting the hell out.
roamer65
(36,748 posts)It will even redefine national borders.
Water is a necessity of life.
You are right.
yankee87
(2,188 posts)Dont remember which class but it was called, The Tragedy of the Commons. Thats where since taking more fish out of the lake, gets you more profit, the lake loses all its fish in a year.
I cant believe this is truly happening now.
Captain Zero
(6,851 posts)It's if you double what you take out each year. And only talk about replacing the fish. You eventually get to where you reach a year where half the fish are removed from the lake. So the next year they will be gone.
The example works better with Lily pads covering a pond.
It all goes back to some of Malthus's ideas.
Takket
(21,677 posts)We dont charge anything at all for them to take our water.