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Arizona Attorney General Reaches Binding Deal With Riverview to Curb Groundwater Use and Provide $11 Million in Aid

Applications to the nonprofit water fund open April 8 for residents outside a 1.6‑mile radius of Riverview irrigation wells.

Overview

  • The settlement requires Riverview to fallow 2,000 acres over 12 years in three phases, with land repurposed for grazing, habitat or other uses.
  • Riverview will contribute $5.5 million to a company‑run fund for households within 1.6 miles of its irrigation wells and $5.5 million to the Sulphur Springs Water Fund for those farther away.
  • Assistance will prioritize drilling or replacing domestic wells and can cover tank systems, water‑fill stations, and hauling, with several local schools eligible regardless of distance.
  • State investigators will monitor compliance through strict reporting to the attorney general’s office as the acreage reductions proceed.
  • Officials say the agreement responds to years of groundwater declines in the Willcox/Sulphur Springs Valley and serves as a precedent for addressing rural water harms.