The plan to pump water from an aquifer in Cadiz and sell it to Southern California cities hit another bump in the road this week. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power urged the L.A. City Council on Tuesday to support a bill, AB1000, in the state legislature that would strengthen safeguards for desert groundwater so that water transfers don’t negatively impact natural or cultural resources. The LADWP board president told the council that “the risks to the desert don’t justify whatever profits or potential jobs might be gained from taking water out of this important desert aquifer.” Cadiz Incorporated owns 24,000 acres surrounded by the Mojave Trails National Monument and uses water in the aquifer below it to irrigate various crops. It plans to pump out 16 billion gallons of water a year and send it to the LA area by piping it alongside a railroad. A spokeswoman for Cadiz said the LADWP’s presentation to the city council was not accurate concerning the “scientific, engineering, environmental, or legal aspects of the project.” Cadiz and claims the project would not harm the desert in any way. She added that 18 water agencies and organizations oppose AB1000; Joshua Basin Water District originally opposed the bill until the bill’s author agreed to amend the bill’s language to exclude water agencies from the bill’s provisions.
