Attorney General Mayes Wins Ruling to Keep Public Nuisance Lawsuit Against Fondomonte Moving Forward

PHOENIX — A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has denied Fondomonte Arizona LLC's request to halt Attorney General Mayes’ public nuisance lawsuit over the company's groundwater extraction in the Ranegras Plain Basin, allowing the case to move forward.

"I am grateful for today's ruling, which keeps our lawsuit against Fondomonte on track," said Attorney General Mayes. "My office will keep fighting to protect the people of La Paz County and hold Fondomonte accountable for the public nuisance we allege they have created due to their overuse of groundwater."

In an order issued today, May 12, 2026, Judge Scott Minder rejected Fondomonte's argument that the case should be paused entirely while the Arizona Department of Water Resources conducts its multi-year Active Management Area study of the basin. The court found that a complete stay would be inappropriate because the State's lawsuit seeks relief — including an abatement fund — that goes beyond what the ADWR process can provide.
 
Attorney General Mayes filed suit in 2024 alleging that Fondomonte, an alfalfa farming operation, has massively increased groundwater pumping in the Ranegras Basin since 2014, causing nearby wells to run dry, degrading water quality, and contributing to land subsidence in the surrounding community. The complaint alleges violations of Arizona's public nuisance statute, A.R.S. § 13-2917.
 
The court ordered the parties to submit a joint scheduling order by June 15, 2026, that takes the ADWR's AMA process into account. A copy of the order is available.