On May 15th, a Maricopa County judge rejected Fondomonte's attempt to halt Attorney General Kris Mayes' public nuisance lawsuit against the Saudi-owned alfalfa megafarm.

The judge ruled the case must proceed — noting that even if state regulators impose future restrictions on groundwater pumping, those restrictions cannot address past damage and cannot strip Fondomonte of its existing pumping rights. Only a court order can do that.

Here's the scale of what's at stake: Fondomonte owns 45,000 acres atop the Ranegras Plain Basin aquifer in western Arizona. In 2023 alone, the company pumped 31,196 acre-feet of groundwater — enough to serve 93,000 single-family homes for an entire year. The pumping continues while the lawsuit proceeds.

And while the courts fight over what's already been taken — Arizona Republicans attempted to pass legislation earlier this year that would have shielded Fondomonte and other foreign corporations from exactly this kind of accountability.

Saudi Arabia banned this type of water-intensive alfalfa farming after destroying its own aquifers. Then it came to Arizona to do the same. That's documented in detail in the full report.

This development confirms what is documented in the full report: davidlawrence64.substack.com

— David Lawrence Phoenix, Arizona | 26-year resident

Submission Statement: Arizona federal water framework allows 40% mandatory cuts. A Saudi farm pumped enough water for 93,000 homes in one year. Phoenix water rates up 125% in three years. Electric rates going up annually forever. System is collapsing. Full report linked.