Tag: Arizona
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Mines exporting to China threaten Arizona’s water
Photo: Manganese rock on a conveyor belt. (Deposit Photos) This last year, the Arizona government repeatedly received favorable national attention for positive conservation actions: protecting the state’s scarce groundwater supplies from foreign-owned farms that repeatedly violated laws or over-pumped declining aquifers. Last December, Gov. Katie Hobbs was lauded for terminating the leases of state-owned land,…
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These tribal leaders are water pioneers — and 2023 Arizonans of the Year
Photo: President Joe Biden talks with Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairwoman Amelia Flores (center), August 8, 2023, at the historic Red Butte Airfield near Tusayan, Arizona. Opinion: Arizona tribal leaders are filling prominent seats at the water negotiation table, and at just the right time for our state. The Colorado River Indian Tribes and Gila…
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When vegetation choked off water recharge basins, who did CAP call? Goat munchers
Photo: In a water recharge basin southeast of Phoenix, a herd of 70 goats is going deep in the weeds to clear unwanted weeds and grass. In an overgrown and dried-up basin outside Sun Tan Valley, ringing bells and the occasional cacophony of goat bleats have replaced the sound of water flowing into the area. …
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Study seeks to explore future of water sustainability for Yuma farming
Charles Sanchez, a co-principal investigator on the study, overlooks an irrigated field in Yuma, Arizona, on Dec. 12, 2019. Yuma ranks third for vegetable production in the nation and is also known as the Winter Lettuce capital. (Courtesy Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture) It may be hard to be-leaf, but during the winter months,…
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Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water
Photo: Without pumping regulations, rural Arizona has become attractive both for foreign and U.S. farms to produce water-intensive crops, such as alfalfa. As large corporations like the Emirati agribusiness Al Dahra settle here, concerns grow about future water supplies from Arizona’s aquifers. (AP Video by Thomas Machowicz/Teresa de Miguel) A blanket of bright green alfalfa…