Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced a settlement with Riverview Dairy requiring the company to reduce groundwater use and pay $11 million to support well-drilling and improve water access for the Sulphur Springs Valley community in Cochise County.
Under the agreement, Riverview Dairy will follow or modify 2,000 acres of irrigated land over the next 12 years to reduce groundwater use. Attorney General Mayes said the settlement sets a precedent for businesses to limit groundwater pumping and support local communities. Riverview must also maintain efficient water management practices, including modern irrigation technology.
The $11 million relief package will create two funds to improve water access in Sulphur Springs Valley. Residents within 1.6 miles of a Riverview irrigation well can access a fund managed by Riverview, while those outside that area will use a third-party fund starting April 8. Both funds will also support local schools in building shared water systems.
Riverview’s contributions will provide long-term benefits to the local population. Citing legislative inaction on groundwater protection, Attorney General Mayes said, 'The legislature has failed for years to protect the residents of rural Arizona from groundwater depletion, so my office has stepped in to do it for them.'
Arizona political and environmental leaders have widely supported the deal. Senator Mark Kelly said it brings stakeholders together to conserve water, protect rural communities, and sustain Arizona agriculture. Water leader Kathy Ferris, co-author of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act, called the agreement a significant step in addressing regional groundwater depletion.
The settlement could serve as a model for other regions facing water management and conservation challenges, showing how government and industry can balance economic and environmental priorities.
