Hundreds of residents attended a contentious public hearing in Willcox on November 22, 2024, as the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) considered designating the Willcox Groundwater Basin as an Active Management Area (AMA). The hearing, held at the Willcox Community Center, came one month after Governor Hobbs’ administration initiated the AMA designation process, despite county voters rejecting a similar measure in 2022.
Evidence Shows Worsening Conditions
ADWR presented stark evidence of the basin’s decline. Groundwater levels have dropped over 400 feet in some areas since the 1950s, with some levels falling between 1 to 9 feet annually. The agency estimates the basin is using 3.5 times more water than is being replenished. ADWR hydrologist Ryan Mitchell stated that even if all pumping stopped today, it would take over 280 years for the aquifer to recover.
Physical damage to the land has become increasingly visible. ADWR documented 48.76 miles of earth fissures throughout the basin as of July 2023. Land subsidence – the sinking of ground level as water is withdrawn – has accelerated to more than 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) per year in some areas, with portions of the basin sinking by 11.5 feet total. These fissures and subsidence have caused road closures and structural damage to homes and wells. Some of the fissures are masked by a thin layer of soil held together by roots posing a threat to humans and animals.
ADWR Chief Hydrologist Ryan Mitchell presented historical data showing an estimated 5.7 million acre-feet of groundwater was mined from storage between 1940 and 2015. The basin’s monitoring system includes 52 active index wells, with four measured automatically by transducers and 48 measured annually. Comprehensive basin-wide measurements, or “sweeps,” have been conducted in 1990, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2014/15, and 2021, providing over 4,627 water level measurements.
Changing Patterns of Water Use
The type of new wells being drilled reveals a dramatic shift in water usage. Non-exempt wells – those capable of pumping more than 35 gallons per minute – made up only 13% of new wells between 1998 and 2010. However, from 2010 to 2024, these high-capacity wells accounted for 56% of new well applications, indicating a significant increase in large-scale water users. ADWR reports that 71 of their monitoring wells have gone dry, with 29 of these occurring in just the last decade. This trend coincides with the arrival of large agricultural operations in the area.
“This Is Our Legacy”: Multi-Generational Farmers Speak Out
Timothy Clump, a fifth-generation rancher, challenged ADWR’s interpretation of the data. “I’ve had 15 wells go dry in my lifetime – had nothing to do with pumping, it had to do with there’s no rain,” Clump testified. “We got to adapt, we got to change. There’s no government mandate going to change that.”
William Wimmer, representing a small first-generation farm, expressed concern that “the AMA is going to benefit conspicuously unnamed special interests while punishing the residents of the Willcox Basin.” He urged regulators to “continue to invite and engage with the local stakeholders – the farmers, the ranchers, the vineyards, and others whose livelihood depends on the water.”
Local Control vs. State Intervention
Many residents advocated for local solutions through organizations like the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance (SSWA) and Rural Water Association (RWA) of Arizona, rather than state control. The lack of public water service in much of the basin means residents depend entirely on wells, with many unable to afford the tens of thousands of dollars needed to deepen dry wells or repair structural damage from subsidence.
Allan Lord’s story illustrates the financial burden on residents. “Around 2005 my well went dry and I spent money to lower my well. A few years ago my well went dry again and I did not have the money to lower my well,” Lord wrote. “My property also now has quite a few areas where the ground has collapsed. Due to this problem the property is abandoned. I do however continue to pay my taxes on the property but it is worthless as a place to live.”
Similarly, Lucia Kisiel described the mounting costs facing homeowners: “We already had to deepen our existing well 12 years ago at considerable expense and when (not if) it goes dry again we will have to drill a new well to a depth of at least 800 feet…. I can’t imagine what that will cost.”
New Threats Emerge as Water Levels Drop
Adding urgency to the debate, Canadian mining company MAX Power recently began lithium exploration in the basin. While an AMA designation might help prevent new large-scale water users from entering the area, residents expressed concern that existing large pumpers would be grandfathered in, failing to address the root cause of depletion.
Agricultural Heritage at Risk
The basin’s agricultural economy, particularly its growing wine industry, hangs in the balance. The area’s unique soil composition makes it ideal for vineyards, but water uncertainty threatens future growth. Small agricultural operators expressed mixed feelings about the AMA, supporting conservation while worrying about restrictions on their relatively low-water-use operations.
Looking Forward
Following the hearing, ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke has 30 days to make a final determination on the AMA designation. If approved, the order would immediately restrict irrigation to lands that were irrigated in the past five years and implement mandatory measuring and reporting requirements for wells pumping more than 35 gallons per minute.
The outcome will shape the future of this agricultural community, where many families have worked the land for generations. As Timothy Clump stated in his testimony, “We’re not getting rich out here… my grandpa invested in my future, his dad invested in theirs.” The challenge remains finding a balance between preserving the basin’s water resources and protecting its agricultural heritage.
