On November 17th Rep. Regina Cobb convened the La Paz County West Basin Water Users Study Committee at the state capitol. When I arrived five minutes early to cover the meeting I was surprised that no one else was there but Rep. Cobb and legislative staff. Those members of the study committee that did attend did so virtually. The meeting did not even commence until approximately 20 minutes after the posted time due to technical difficulties.
Finally, when the meeting began a bare quorum participated. Rep. Cobb stated at the outset she would take no testimony. Since this was the fourth and last scheduled meeting, the grand finale, only recommendations would be made.
The meeting schedule was brutal. On August 11th the committee met for 32 whole minutes and members gave their introductions. There was no quorum. On September 21st the scheduled meeting did not occur because of much sickness. On October 27th due to widespread and ongoing sickness in La Paz County no one could show up. Apparently, due to the lack of good health in La Paz County no meetings were rescheduled.
Daily Life in La Paz County
(Actually downtown Hong Kong photo by Prachatai)
On November 17th six brave members rolled out of their death beds and soldiered on, or should I say, “phoned it in,” or literally “Zoomed” it in. They took one vote and voted against Rep. Cobb’s motion declaring the need for rural groundwater legislation. La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin, who really did care, seconded the motion, but it died on a 3-4 vote. After that vote one of the members mysteriously disappeared and thus, the committee had to adjourn for lack of a quorum.
Explaining her opposition to Rep. Cobb’s call for some type of groundwater legislation, committee member Kristen Nelson, representing the La Paz County Farm Bureau, said, ““We were hoping to have more conversations about water management in the La Paz County basin.” Lawmakers ponder water legislation for ‘22 | Arizona Capitol Times (azcapitoltimes.com)
Nelson did not explain why she had never shown up to a meeting to give her input. Of course, it could have been the widespread sickness in La Paz County that prevented her from coming.
Apparently, the citizens of Mohave County have more robust health. This committee met on each of four occasions and had a quorum every time. The committee even met in person! During the last meeting the committee passed 10 recommendations including support for Rep. Cobb’s Rural Management Area. Never underestimate the many benefits of good health.
Frankly, the leaders of La Paz County have no excuse if years from now depth to groundwater makes it prohibitively expensive for smaller farming operations to pump. Even now, some homeowners in the area have wells that are impacted by large growers like Fondomonte which grows hay for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This large agricultural conglomerate has acquired almost 10,000 acres in La Paz County. The company has drilled 28 wells of which 12 are over 1000 feet deep. The depth to groundwater in the Renegras Plane sub-basin in that area has declined from 66 feet in 1945 to approximately 235 feet today. Biggest water users: Arizona farms keep drilling deeper for water (azcentral.com). While the aquifer in some parts of the sub-basin has appeared to stabilize in the last decade, new arrivals could threaten to put further stress on it as Arizona’s two-decade-plus drought continues. Nothing in Arizona law prevents them from coming to these groundwater-dependent areas and pumping with abandon.
In addition, the Town of Queen Creek, pending a decision by the US Bureau of Reclamation, could lease Colorado River surface water from eastern La Paz County, which would set a water transfer precedent . . . Another thing La Paz County residents need to think about.