Dear Editor,
The Kingman and Mohave County areas have been the poster child for the rural groundwater fight, given the excessive use of our groundwater by foreign companies resulting in devastation to our local residents, businesses and generational farmers. For years, our residents have been sounding the alarm about the unsustainable overuse of our groundwater and the threat it poses on our county’s businesses and economies. The creation of the Governor’s Water Policy Council in the spring was celebrated by so many in the county who were pleading for solutions, and we were extra thrilled when Mohave county experts were added to the council – Jamie Kelly from the Mohave County Water Authority and Travis Lingenfelter from the Mohave County Board of Supervisors acting as her alternate.
The recommendations adopted by the Governor’s Water Policy Council are timely and parallel with an event that the Kingman Chamber hosted just weeks ago to discuss our community’s concerning groundwater challenges and its impact to our local commerce. Joining this community discussion was Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli (R-LD30) who represents the area and sponsored legislation last session to address this issue, Mohave County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter (District 1) who has been a vocal advocate for greater groundwater management to protect our county’s water supply, and a local Kingman area vineyard owner Micah Spencer from Cella Winery who spoke directly about his angst as a result of his agriculture peers irresponsibly overusing the community’s only source of water.
The Council’s recommendations adopted today sync with the overwhelming theme from this recent Kingman Chamber community discussion: the need for local tools to better manage our groundwater use to preserve the county’s businesses, economy, and resident’s livelihoods.
The Kingman Chamber applauds the hard work of the Council to prioritize solutions to rural groundwater challenges for areas like Mohave County. We look forward to working with our state elected officials to convert these recommendations into legislation that promotes local groundwater management for greater water security in rural Arizona and ultimately preserves our businesses, economy, and resident’s livelihoods.”
Becky Fawson
Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce
