2026: Ramping up for
Regional-Scale Groundwater Modeling

Members of LSPWA understand how incredibly unique the Lower San Pedro River is … and why, as the last free-flowing river in the southwest, it is worth protecting. Of deep concern has been the fact the watershed and surrounding hydrology of the adjacent Galiuro Mountains remain largely unstudied. That can all change—with your involvement and generous help.

Community-Science Volunteers Sought!

Across the nation, volunteers are gathering the "baseline" data that scientists need to protect our waterways and lands—especially in overlooked rural communities. LSPWA is working with a group of nonprofit and agency partners who will train, support and assist our community-science programs that include monitoring well depth; water contamination and air quality studies; camera-trapping; and mapping the San Pedro’s wet-dry stretches. Become involved in our efforts to develop the Lower San Pedro Watershed's very first Regional-Scale Groundwater Model—a critical component in our legal fight to preserve our beloved river and the unique wild bio-habitats that it sustains.

Request For Proposal (RFP)
Hydrological MIKE SHE Modeler

LSPWA is soliciting proposals from qualified hydrologists to describe MIKE SHE hydrological modeling that has previously been performed in the Lower San Pedro watershed, including underlying assumptions, descriptions of regional geology, and anticipated impacts from regional development. Submission deadline: July 17. 

Update: Faraday to Acquire San Manuel Mine after BLM Okays Expanded Mining Exploration on Copper Creek 

In June of 2025—despite heavy public opposition—the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved Redhawk/Faraday Copper’s mining-exploration project on Copper Creek, an upslope tributary of the San Pedro River located in the Galiuro Mountains, in Mammoth. Not only has BLM given the green light to round-the-clock industrial operations with no meaningful oversight, it has set the stage for a future large-scale mining operation that threatens to deplete local water sources and irreparably harm one of Arizona's last—and most unique—desert-river bio-habitats.

At the same time, Faraday is in the process of acquiring the San Manuel Mine site from the Australian multinational BHP, whose 27,000 acres are slated to be combined with the Copper Creek project to create a multi-generational copper “complex.” As Faraday has thus far failed to make its future plans known to the public, we are working as a matter of urgency to unearth whatever information we can. 

• Learn more about Faraday's impending acquisition of the BHP property and the questions it poses.

• Review our appeal letter to the Arizona State Director of the Bureau of Land Management regarding the recent approval of 67 exploration sites at Copper Creek by Redhawk/Faraday Copper. 

• Read the joint appeal letter  written by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and Center for Biological Diversity onto which we and other partner organizations signed. 

• Read our response and our partners' separate responses to the BLM Environmental Assessment of the Faraday-Redhawk Project.

LSPWA Takes Action

LSPWA members have been deeply engaged in forging the community and partner bonds, public education and outreach that underpins our ability as an organization to defend the Lower San Pedro River Watershed from large-scale industrial depredations. Over the past year, our involvements have included, among other things: 

• Joining with partners to oppose the proposal of irresponsible and environmentally destructive policies

• Building stakeholder appreciation for the magnificent beauty and environmental significance of the Lower San Pedro Valley

• Learning more about successful community-science and riparian-mitigation efforts that we will mirror as part of our Regional-Scale Groundwater Modelling Initiative

• Standing up for community representation at major university conferences on mining and water usage

Of Interest