Native News
BLM Approves Pipeline Conversion for Mojave Groundwater Bank Project Developed with Lytton Rancheria
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved a right-of-way (ROW) grant allowing construction to begin on the conversion of the Cadiz Northern Pipeline from a natural gas pipeline to a water conveyance system, clearing a major federal hurdle for the Mojave Groundwater Bank project being developed by Cadiz Inc. in partnership with the Lytton Rancheria.
The approval authorizes the conversion and long-term operation of the 220-mile pipeline across BLM-managed lands under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Once the grant is fully executed by Cadiz, construction on the project can begin.
The Mojave Groundwater Bank is one of the largest proposed new water supply and groundwater storage projects in the Colorado River Basin. Through its partnership with Lytton Rancheria, the project aims to deliver new water supplies to communities in California’s High Desert and Inland Empire while expanding groundwater storage capacity in the drought-stricken Southwest.
“We’re excited to achieve this pivotal milestone,” Susan Kennedy, chair and chief executive officer of Cadiz said. “After many years of planning and environmental review, the project is now ready to begin the construction stage.”
Kennedy said the company has secured long-term water supply agreements and construction contracts, and that the federal approval marks a key milestone as it finalizes project financing.
Cadiz purchased the Northern Pipeline from El Paso Natural Gas in 2020. Originally built to transport natural gas, the buried steel pipeline has remained in place under a federal right-of-way. In 2024, the Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company, created by Cadiz to operate the Mojave Groundwater Bank, applied for a new BLM right-of-way to convert the pipeline for water delivery and construct associated pump stations and facilities.
The newly approved right-of-way authorizes water conveyance across BLM-managed lands and allows the pipeline to operate for up to 50 years, based on its projected service life.
According to Cadiz, the pipeline will initially be capable of delivering up to 25,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Mojave Groundwater Bank, with the potential for future expansion as additional facilities are developed.
The company has already entered into long-term water supply agreements with public water agencies and investor-owned utilities.
Lytton Rancheria Partnership
The project represents a significant infrastructure partnership between Cadiz and Lytton Rancheria, which is working with the company to develop the Mojave Groundwater Bank.
According to Cadiz, when fully developed, the project is expected to provide more than 2.5 million acre-feet of supplemental water supplies to the Lower Colorado River Basin and up to 1 million acre-feet of groundwater storage capacity.
The project is located within the Fenner Valley Aquifer System in California’s eastern Mojave Desert near the Arizona and Nevada borders. Cadiz says the groundwater basin is naturally recharged and supported by adjudicated water rights, completed environmental reviews and advanced engineering work.
The BLM also released its Decision Record, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact approving the pipeline conversion.
While Cadiz and its tribal partner describe the project as a critical long-term water supply investment for Southern California, the proposal has faced years of scrutiny and opposition from some environmental organizations and desert conservation advocates who have raised concerns about groundwater extraction in the Mojave Desert. The BLM’s approval marks one of the final major federal authorizations needed before construction can move forward.