Source Water Project In Mojave Desert, Blocked By Obama, May Be Revived

The Trump administration took action last week that could pave the way for a controversial water project in a California desert that had been halted under President Obama.

Cadiz Inc. wants to use water from beneath the Mojave Desert and sell it to Southern California water districts, according to The Sacramento Bee.

“The U.S. Bureau of Land Management previously ruled that Cadiz Inc. couldn't use an existing federal railroad right of way to build a 43-mile pipeline to carry water from its private Mojave wells to the Colorado River Aqueduct,” NBC News Bay Area reported.

“The decision would have forced Cadiz to go through the long and costly process of completing environmental studies for the pipeline,” the report said.

The new memos from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) do not specifically mention Cadiz, according to Fox News. However, the decisions “ease the way” for the company.

The actions by the Trump administration “effectively relieved the Cadiz water project of the requirement to undergo a federal environmental review, which the company had sought to avoid,” The Bee reported.

“The new administration appears sympathetic to the company’s concerns,” The Los Angeles Times added.

Cadiz Chief Executive Scott Slater said that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the news, the Times reported.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, a longtime opponent of the Cadiz project, panned the decision on the grounds that it exploits the aquifer and could harm the environment.

“The detrimental impact this project would have on the California desert is irreversible. Rather than allow a proper environmental review, the Trump administration wants to open the door for a private company to exploit a natural desert aquifer and destroy pristine public land purely for profit. The Cadiz water project embodies the worst elements of the Trump administration,” she said in a statement.

Slater said the opposition from Feinstein “has done a disservice to thousands of Californians who will benefit from this public-private partnership — a project which will deliver new, reliable water without any adverse environmental impacts,” according to the Bee.

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