Wenden, Arizona Faces Water Crisis Amid Groundwater Overuse
In Wenden, Arizona, a small town located about 60 miles east of the Colorado River Reservation, residents are grappling with a serious problem: their land has been sinking for over 80 years. This alarming trend has dropped more than 18 feet over the decades, primarily due to the relentless extraction of groundwater by nearby megafarms. As a result, locals are forced to dig deeper wells, sometimes thousands of feet underground, just to find enough water.
Wenden, while a quaint community, is caught in a tug-of-war for water rights. The Colorado River, a crucial water source, supplies about 38% of Wenden’s water needs. Cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix also rely heavily on this river, contributing to intense competition for its dwindling resources.
Gary Saiter, the head of the Wenden Water Improvement District, expressed grave concerns about the future: “It’s a train wreck waiting to happen,” he stated. Over the past 15 years, Wenden has seen its land sink by more than three and a half feet, and it continues to drop by 2.2 inches each year. The situation is unsustainable and poses a dire threat to the community.
As groundwater levels recede, the impact is felt more acutely in Wenden. Farmers continue to dig deeper wells year after year, trying to keep up with their water needs. However, large agribusiness operations are rapidly draining these resources, exacerbating the issue for local residents. A study from Arizona State University highlighted how the overuse of groundwater in the Colorado River Basin is causing significant subsidence in Wenden.
Jay Famiglietti, an ASU professor who co-authored the study, likened the situation to a deflating tire: “Just like air keeps a tire inflated, water supports the ground. When that water is pumped out, the ground sinks.”
Adding to the urgency of the situation, the same study pointed out that nearly 80% of Arizona lacks any regulations concerning groundwater use. This absence of oversight allows corporate farms to extract water without accountability, raising concerns about their impact on local communities like Wenden. Saiter mentioned that these corporations can purchase water rights and land, then transport the water elsewhere, further leaving towns like Wenden high and dry.
Recognizing the growing crisis, Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken action by filing a lawsuit against Fondomonte, one of the megafarm operators, for its excessive water usage and the negative effects it has on Wenden. Fondomonte, owned by Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company Almarai, is known for cultivating water-intensive crops like alfalfa in the U.S.
Mayes emphasized the predicament, explaining that the water is depleting due to the activities of these foreign-owned farms. Fondomonte maintains that their water use is reasonable, claiming they make efforts to manage it responsibly.
The scale of water extraction in the area is staggering; estimates suggest that Fondomonte uses about 81% of the region’s available groundwater. Compounding this issue is the rapid expansion of foreign-owned agribusinesses, which have grown from 1.25 million acres to nearly 3 million in the past decade, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Efforts to regulate groundwater use have been met with political roadblocks in Arizona. The state legislature has debated how to manage this critical resource but has struggled to find a consensus. Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, proposed establishing rural groundwater management areas in the next legislative session, but bipartisan disagreements have hindered progress on the issue.
As Wenden continues to sink, the community faces an uncertain future. While local leaders tirelessly advocate for sustainable solutions, the fight against corporate interests remains a daunting challenge. It is crucial for Arizona to manage its water resources more effectively to protect towns like Wenden from further decline and to ensure that local residents have access to the water they need to survive. This situation is a reminder of the importance of balancing agricultural needs with the rights of local communities in resource management.
