Milestones
Milestones and Next Steps
Since 2008, the Project has achieved many milestones:
September 2008: Cadiz enters into an agreement with the Arizona & California Railroad Company giving Cadiz the ability to build the Water Project’s conveyance pipeline within the railroad’s existing right-of-way. The pipeline will be built along the railroad tracks on pre-disturbed land.
May 2009: Cadiz enters into a Green Compact with the Natural Heritage Institute pledging to preserve lands, restore ecosystems, manage the aquifer system sustainably, and explore solar power production.
February 2010: CH2M HILL releases results of year-long, peer-reviewed study measuring the vast scale and productivity of the Cadiz aquifer system. The study, which was conducted utilizing new field work and new models produced by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2006 and 2008, confirms that the aquifer system can sustainably support the Water Project. Carlton Professor of Geology Dr. John Sharp of the University of Texas releases his first peer review report on the Cadiz wells, strongly supporting the conclusions of the CH2M HILL study.
April 2010: California State Geologist, Certified Hydrologist, and Professor at USC Dr. Dennis Williams of GeoScience Support Services, Inc. releases GeoScience’s peer review report “Geohydrologic Assessment of the Fenner Gap Area” strongly supporting the conclusions of the CH2M Hill study.
May 2010: Carlton Professor of Geology Dr. John Sharp of the University of Texas releases his second peer review report on the permeability of the carbonate aquifer, strongly supporting the conclusions of the CH2M Hill study.
June 2010: Santa Margarita Water District (“SMWD”) joins Project committing to act as lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review process; committing funds to the environmental review process; and acquiring an option in the Project for a firm annual supply of water and groundwater storage rights.
Three Valleys Municipal Water District and Golden State Water Company join the Project committing funds to the CEQA environmental review process and acquiring an option in the Project for a firm annual supply of water and groundwater storage rights.
October 2010: Suburban Water Systems joins the Project committing funds to the CEQA environmental review process and acquiring an option in the Project for a firm annual supply of water and groundwater storage rights.
February 2011: SMWD issues a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) formally commencing the public portion of the CEQA process for the Project. A 30-day scoping period is also initiated. Scoping meetings were held by SMWD on March 16th and March 24th. Click here to view copy of the NOP.
May 2011: A Groundwater Stewardship Committee comprised of leading national groundwater experts is assembled to guide the design of the operating plan and groundwater monitoring program for the Project. Committee members are drawn from various sectors and include experts from regulatory institutions, environmental organizations, academia and the professional groundwater industry.
Jurupa Community Services District joins the Project committing funds to the CEQA environmental review process and acquiring an option in the Project for a firm annual supply of water and groundwater storage rights.
Economist John E. Husing, Ph.D. finds that the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project (“Project”) would create and support over 5,900 jobs, generate more than $878 million in economic activity over its two phases, and infuse tens of millions in tax revenue to local governments.
October 2011: The Groundwater Stewardship Committee completes its review of the Project’s technical and scientific studies and determines that the Project can offer a significant water supply to Southern California communities and avoid environmental harm. The GSC’s report, which includes recommendations for the inclusion of a state-of-the-art groundwater protection program, also found that the Project can feasibly recover 1.3 million acre-feet of clean groundwater from impending evaporation over a fifty year period of operation with a continuing conservation benefit of an additional 900,000 acre-feet occurring thereafter.
December 2011: California Water Service Company joins the Project acquiring an option in the Project for a firm annual supply of water and groundwater storage rights. SMWD releases the Project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for public review and comment. To view a copy of the Draft EIR, click here. To learn more about how to participate in the public comment process, click here.
Next Steps
Following the conclusion of the public comment period, a Final EIR will be prepared for consideration by the SMWD Board of Directors. Once the CEQA and permitting process is complete, construction would begin, creating over one-thousand construction-related jobs. Preliminary estimates of construction costs are approximately $225 million depending upon a number of factors, including the number of wells, pipe size, and material costs. The cost of operations and maintenance would be less than $100/acre-foot, depending on the cost of power.
To learn more about the Project, click on the links below:
