Of the 1,217 deep wells tapping into underground water tables in Armenia’s Ararat Valley, only 484 operate legally.

The area, in the country’s Ararat and Armavir provinces, is prime farmland and the site of numerous fish farms.

The Armenian Ministry of Environment set up a working group in 2021 to study the valley’s underground water resources.

Given the findings, the ministry hasn’t issued new deep well permits this year.