Mojave Desert has asked the federal government to launch a full-fledged environmental review of Cadiz Inc.’s proposed groundwater pumping project. The request by U.S. Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) joins a similar one made last year by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), making a rare show of bipartisan unity on a publics lands issue, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Officials from the Santa Margarita Water District in Orange County and Cadiz Inc. held firm Friday in their support of the environmental studies behind a plan to pump Mojave Desert water to Southern California cities, despite Congressman Cook’s request for a federal environmental review, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
The Cadiz project is a private venture designed to pump water from deep desert aquifers so as to pump it to South Orange County, where irresponsible developers cannot wait to use it so they can build more homes and fill more pools.
Building homes in South Orange County when we lack the water and energy and freeways and roads needed to sustain new developments is ridiculous!
Cook and Feinstein are correct in opposing this ridiculous project which will disturb protected federal lands and the creatures and plants that live in those areas.
Friend Cook on Facebook here.
Click here to get updates on the effort to stop the Cadiz Water project from the Citizens for Responsible Water Policies.
Here is the truth that Cadiz supporters do not want you to know:
- The project, located near Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert National Preserve, proposes to pump over 16 BILLION gallons of water, every year, for 50 years from desert aquifers. This is at a rate of over 150 percent more than natural replenishment, even if you accept Cadiz’s biased and overly-optimistic projections of water recharge rates.
- Desert ecosystems in danger include rare plant and animal life that will virtually become extinct should this project move forward.
- According to many sources, including the National Park Service and MWD, the Draft Economic Impact Report (DEIR) is grossly flawed. It didn’t even include the entire project area!
- The SMWD’s analysis significantly downplays, and in many instances completely ignores, the projected water demand required within the “local” and “regional” areas.
- The cumulative analysis in the DEIR barely touches on the enormous water demand for the numerous renewable energy projects, primarily solar projects, located within the local and regional assessment area.
- The DEIR does not discuss how anticipated South Orange County population growth and associated secondary air quality impacts will have a significant environmental effect on Joshua Tree National Park.
Click here to see a list of all the opponents of the Cadiz water project.