Contributed article
PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes today highlighted the early success of the precedent-setting groundwater settlement with Riverview, LLP, announced in January 2026.
Since the agreement took effect, Riverview has approved or completed the re-drilling of twenty-two wells for residents of Cochise County affected by declining groundwater levels in the Sulphur Springs Valley. These twenty-two requests for assistance represent the vast majority of applications received to date.
The settlement, the first of its kind in Arizona and the nation, secured $11 million from Riverview for well-drilling, water-hauling, and groundwater access for impacted residents, along with commitments to fallow or transition 2,000 acres of irrigated farmland over the next 12 years to reduce groundwater use.
“This is exactly the kind of support our state’s rural communities deserve to see, and I’m proud that just months into this agreement, twenty-two families in Cochise County have new wells and access to groundwater because of it,” Mayes said. “I want to thank Riverview for their ongoing efforts to be a good neighbor and to live up to the terms of the agreement we signed together late last year. This is what it looks like when state government and businesses work together to support Arizonans. I hope to see this success continue in the months and years ahead.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Riverview is required to provide periodic reports to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to ensure continued compliance. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to monitor Riverview’s progress on both its groundwater conservation commitments and its funding obligations to residents.
Residents in the Sulphur Springs Valley who believe they may be eligible for well-drilling or water-hauling assistance can contact:
- Riverview, LLP:
Phone: 320-392-5609
Email: info@riverviewllp.com
https://riverviewllp.com/contact/
- Arizona Community Foundation:
Phone: 602-381-1400
Email: SSWF@azfoundation.org
https://www.azfoundation.org/ways-to-give/give-by-impact-area/environment-sustainability/the-sulphur-springs-water-fund/
