WILLCOX, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s been one week since the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) held its public hearing in Willcox, about possibly implementing an active management agreement (AMA) for the Willcox groundwater basin.
The investigation is already impacting local vineyards.
“This region does affect all of the Arizona wine industry,” said Barbara Pierce, owner of Bodega Pierce.
She and her husband started their Willcox winery in 2011. They began clearing out an additional 30 acres to increase the number of grapes they produce and wine they can make, but the expansion was halted because of the potential AMA.”
"It's very worrisome with this AMA coming into place of now we're not being able to expand acreage that we were looking forward to,” Pierce said.
They were told by the ADWR to stop their expansion because during the investigation, no new irrigation systems can be installed.
"The property would become literally invaluable, because it would be worthless,” Pierce said.
There are over 20 vineyards on the Willcox basin. Many of them planned to expand as they grew.
“It’s kind of scary for us, because, like I said, the one size fits all doesn't really work,” Pierce said.
She says, they aren’t opposed to water conservation. They’d just like to see newer legislation, since the AMA format was created in the 1980s.
"We all agree, we all have to be good stewards of our water. Everybody; ranchers, farmers, everybody knows that," Pierce said. "So, what's our option? And, that is to work together and come up with something not so restrictive.”
The director of the ADWR has until the end of this month to determine whether or not the Willcox groundwater basin will get an AMA.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
