Groundwater Contractors in Cochise County, AZ

Groundwater Contractors in Cochise County, Arizona

Cochise County sits in the far southeastern corner of Arizona, a landscape of sky island mountain ranges separated by broad agricultural valleys. It is also ground zero for one of Arizona’s most controversial groundwater crises: the Willcox Basin, where decades of agricultural pumping — largely for pecans, pistachios, and forage crops — has caused water tables to drop at an alarming rate, triggering land fissures visible from the road and raising serious questions about long-term water availability.

Groundwater in Cochise County

Unlike Maricopa and Pima counties, most of Cochise County is not within an Active Management Area. This means groundwater pumping is subject only to the general requirements of Arizona’s Groundwater Code rather than the stricter AMA regulations, including mandatory metering and annual reporting for large agricultural users.

The ADWR has studied the Willcox Basin extensively and documented annual water table declines of 3–12 feet in the most heavily pumped areas. Arizona’s Legislature passed modest groundwater regulations for certain areas outside AMAs in recent years, but the Willcox situation remains contentious.

Key Basins

Sulphur Springs Valley / Willcox Basin: A broad, flat agricultural valley at ~4,150 feet elevation. The main aquifer occurs in alluvial sediments at depths of 200–600 feet, with some production from deeper consolidated layers. Agricultural demand is enormous; residential and stock wells are also common throughout.

San Pedro Valley: The upper San Pedro River flows north through eastern Cochise County before crossing into Pinal County. The river is one of Arizona’s last perennial streams, sustained partly by groundwater discharge. The Nature Conservancy and federal agencies have worked to limit pumping near the river to protect baseflow. Domestic wells in this area are typically 200–500 feet deep.

Huachuca City / Sierra Vista Area: The Huachuca Mountains and surrounding basins have a separate groundwater system. Fort Huachuca (a major Army post) is the largest water user in the area; the post has worked with the ADWR to balance groundwater withdrawals with recharge.

Water Quality in Cochise County

Hardness: Moderate to hard, 200–400 mg/L across most of the county.
Arsenic: Low to moderate risk; test all new wells.
Nitrates: Agricultural areas in the Sulphur Springs Valley have shown elevated nitrate levels in some shallow wells. Test annually if near farming operations.
TDS: Generally 400–800 mg/L; palatable without treatment in most areas but softeners are common.