COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Many Cochise County residents rely on groundwater and wells to provide water for their families. But now there's a new threat in the Wilcox Basin: a lithium mine could be coming to town, and people aren't happy about it.

Max Power Mining Corporation, a Canadian-based company, is drilling for lithium at Wilcox Playa to see if it is a suitable mine site. Although the company has not committed to building a mine in Cochise County, local residents are already trying to end the process before it is too late.

Sunsite resident Joanna Seeley organized People for the Playa. A group of citizens trying to stop mining from entering the area. Wilcox Playa sits atop the Wilcox Basin, an aquifer that supplies groundwater to northern Cochise County.

“This is a conservation area and we don't want it to be degraded,” Seeley said.

According to Max Power Mining Corporation, WebsiteThey are preparing to drill a third hole in the playa that will create a 1,640-foot by 1,640-foot by 2,300-foot triangle.

Peggy Judd of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, whose district includes Wilcox Playa, said she has received complaints from residents about the project. She said she was “opposed to this type of operation” because it would affect the sandhill cranes that thousands of tourists come to see each year.

“We're hopeful that EPA rules and regulations will prevent that,” Seeley said.

Lou Manuta, a Pierce resident and member of People for Playa, said he is concerned about the amount of water needed for the lithium mine. He said this use is depleting wells across the region and is already doing so.

“There are people whose only or primary water resource is water that they pollute and use up,” Manuta said.

Without water, people in the area would be forced to move.

“The aquifer will be depleted. The people who live here will have to leave,” Manuta said. And their wealth will be a fraction of what it is now, if not worthless. ”

Manuta and Seeley said working to stop the mine is the best option for both citizens and the mine, as it doesn't require spending more money and avoids potential lawsuits. states.

Max Power Mining Corporation has not said whether it will locate a mine on Wilcox Playa. They are in the early exploration stages to see if a mine could exist there. KGUN reached out to the company, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.