Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project
The Cadiz Water Project is a water supply project that will actively manage the groundwater basin underlying a portion of the Cadiz and Fenner Valleys in California’s Mojave Desert, conserve renewable native groundwater that would otherwise be lost to evaporation, and create a new reliable water supply for Southern California.
The Cadiz Project is a regional water supply and storage project that will actively manage the groundwater basin underlying a portion of the Cadiz and Fenner Valleys in California’s Mojave Desert to conserve groundwater before it is lost to evaporation and make it available for beneficial use in southern California communities. The managed aquifer system will also provide up to 1 million acre-feet of groundwater banking capacity for imported water. The Project’s wellfield and pipeline infrastructure will provide both reliable new supply and underground storage to manage frequent swings between wet and dry years.
Facilities
Project facilities at the Cadiz Ranch include a wellfield and manifold system as well as over 100 groundwater monitoring installations, a water treatment facility, power appurtenances and two conveyance pipelines that will interconnect the Project to California’s water distribution system. The Southern Pipeline will be constructed within an existing railroad right-of-way and interconnect with the Colorado River Aqueduct. The Northern Pipeline is an existing natural gas pipeline that crosses facilities of the State Water Project and Los Angeles Aqueduct and will be converted to water conveyance. The Southern and Northern Project pipeline facilities will include intertie facilities, power, pump stations and railroad improvements (Southern Pipeline only).
The Project will be implemented in two phases:
PHASE I
The first phase would capture approximately 50,000 acre-feet (1acre-foot = 326,000 gallons, or approximately enough water to meet the annual needs of three suburban households) of groundwater per year from a wellfield on Cadiz Inc. private property and deliver it via pipelines to communities in need in southern California from Kern to San Diego County.
PHASE II
A second phase of the Project would use the available capacity in the soils beneath the ground to store up to 1 million acre-feet of imported water in wet years so it can be used in dry years. This phase of the project will undergo additional environmental review and permitting process after the first phase is implemented.
BENEFITS
The creation of a reliable and flexible water supply for southern California communities. The Water Project is not dependent upon the water rights, the hydrology and environmental restrictions attributable to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hydrology of the Colorado River, or drought.
Conservation of 1.6 million acre-feet of fresh water over the 50 year life of the Water Project; is currently and will be captured and put to beneficial use, supplying 400,000 people throughout southern California annually water that would have been lost to evaporation or salt contamination beneath the dry lakes.
Providing clean fresh water. The native groundwater quality meets or exceeds state and national standards.
Preservation of the desert ecology and habitats. The Water Project will supply high-quality water without harming the desert ecosystem or the aquifer, that’s according to the results of an extensive examination under the nation’s strictest environmental review law, the California Environmental Quality Act. The review found that the Project will not harm desert flora or fauna, and the aquifer will remain 95% full after 50 years of operation. The closest springs are located 1,000 feet above the aquifer and are not fed from or hydrologically connected to the aquifer below.
Reduced carbon footprint and lower energy costs for southern Californians because the water originates locally in San Bernardino County and can be transported shorter distances at lower cost compared to water imported from Northern California.
Local economic stimulus through the creation of well paying jobs building the $250 million project. At least half these jobs will go to local San Bernardino workers and 10% are guaranteed for military veterans. The local economy will benefit by nearly $1 billion, and no part of this Project is financed with taxpayer dollars.
Improved transportation and rail safety because the Project will provide water to the local Arizona & California Railroad for critical railroad purposes such as fire suppression. The Project will also improve the railroad’s access to highways and power in the area.
Future capacity and potential for water storage to maximize the value of the project facilities. These water deliveries could be phased and offer additional benefits such as saving surplus water in wet years, providing reliability, and safeguarding future imported water from evaporative losses. These water deliveries could be phased and offer additional benefits such as saving surplus water in wet years, providing reliability, and safeguarding future imported water from evaporative losses.