Episode Details

In southeastern Arizona, Riverview LLP is racing to secure grandfathered groundwater rights for tens of thousands of acres, a move that could lock in water for farming and inflate property values as the state tightens rules in the drought-stricken Willcox basin. Designated an Active Management Area, the region now requires special certificates for groundwater use—proof of irrigation between 2019 and 2024—and Riverview, with its massive acreage and history of water-intensive crops, is poised to get a huge allotment. Yet, the move sparks backlash: homeowners face dry wells and skyrocketing drilling costs, while critics argue the rules favor big agribusiness at the expense of small farmers. Riverview, already under fire, has agreed to pay $11 million to affected neighbors and remove 2,000 acres from production by 2038. With over 83,000 acre-feet of groundwater used in 2023 alone—and many wells drilled far deeper than average—the state’s final decision will determine whether this giant dairy operation gets its water, and what that means for the future of farming and water access across the region.

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