Santa Margarita Water District

SMWD is a project participant in the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project, a potential new water source from a large, renewable aquifer located in the eastern Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County.

The proposed Project would manage the aquifer and conserve water from nearby watersheds otherwise being lost to evaporation in local dry lakes. Conserved water would be collected and delivered to SMWD and other water agencies. There would also be an option for carry-over water storage in the Cadiz Aquifer.

SMWD is also exploring possibilities for a storage project that in wet years, would store water from the Colorado River Aqueduct into the Cadiz aquifer. This water could be used when needed in dry years.

If implemented, the Cadiz Project would diversify SMWD’s water portfolio and help drought-proof the District to ensure its water demands are met regardless of the state’s supply.

SMWD is the Lead Agency for the Project’s California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process. Under this environmental review, the lead agency evaluates its project and any potential environmental impacts. If alternatives are identified and mitigation measures are necessary, then they must be considered and incorporated prior to approval of the project.

CEQA Documents and Timeline

SMWD released the Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR (NOP) on February 28, 2011. SMWD held two public scoping workshops in March and the public comment period for the NOP document closed March 30, 2011.

SMWD released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on December 5, 2011.  A 70-day comment period was provided through February 13, 2012.  Although the initial comment period exceeded the minimal time requirements set forth under the CEQA process, SMWD has received requests to further extend the comment period.  A Notice of Extension was issued by the District announcing a 30-day extension of the public comment period through March 14, 2012.   A copy of the DEIR can be downloaded here and a copy is available for viewing at the District's main office located at 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita. The Notice of Availability of a Draft EIR (NOA) also provides information where additional copies of the DEIR are available for viewing.

In an effort to help the public access and better understand the contents of the DEIR, SMWD held an informational community workshop on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at the Joshua Tree Community Center.  In addition, two public comment workshops were held to receive comments regarding the scope, content, and analysis provided in the DEIR.  The first of two workshops was held on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at SMWD and the second workshop was held on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at the Joshua Tree Community Center in San Bernardino County.

Please send written comments, including a return address and contact name, to the following address or email to:

Tom Barnes, ESA
626 Wilshire Boulevard, Ste. 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Email:cadizproject@esassoc.com
Telephone: 213-599-4300
Fax: 213-599-4301

or

For any additional inquiries, e-mail cadizproject@smwd.com.

Project Overview

The proposed Cadiz Valley Groundwater Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project would provide a new, reliable source of water to Southern California. The Project would provide up to 50,000 acre feet (1.6 billion gallons) of water, on average per year, for potable use – the amount equivalent to supplying water to 400,000 individuals for one year. Water would be delivered to SMWD and other participating water providers via the Colorado River Aqueduct delivery system. The Project also provides opportunities for carry-over storage of annual supplies to Project participants and could provide capacity for storage of imported water if needed in the future.

The proposed project would be executed in two phases:

Click above to download brochure

Conservation and Recovery Component – Phase I

In this first phase, a system would be constructed to capture and conserve the aquifer’s average annual recharge that would otherwise evaporate from the Bristol and Cadiz Dry Lakes. The project would construct extraction wells on the Cadiz property and a 43-mile underground water conveyance pipeline within an active railroad right-of-way that intersects with the Colorado River Aqueduct, making water delivery to the Southern California region possible. If the region experiences wet weather, SMWD has the option to decrease or forego its water delivery for that year and carry it over to another year when it may be needed. This carry-over water would be stored in the Cadiz Aquifer.

Imported Water Storage Component – Phase II

A second phase of the Project contemplates storage of imported water from the Colorado River in the Cadiz aquifer system. The storage capacity of the aquifer system is estimated to be one million acre feet. In wet years, surplus water from the Colorado River could be conveyed to recharge basins on Cadiz-owned land and would percolate into the underground aquifer for storage. The water would be available for use in dry years, helping improve the region’s water supply reliability.

Background

Cadiz Inc. owns approximately 34,000 acres of land in the Cadiz and Fenner Valleys of the Mojave Desert, located in San Bernardino County. This property is underlain by an extensive aquifer system offering natural recharge and storage capacity.

The Cadiz Valley Project will capture and utilize billions of gallons of renewable, native groundwater that is currently being lost each year to evaporation when rain and melted snow from the Fenner Valley and Orange Blossom Watersheds reach the area’s dry lakes. In addition, the Project will offer approximately one million acre feet of storage capacity that can be used to conserve – or bank – imported water, virtually eliminating the high rates of evaporative loss suffered by local surface reservoirs.

Santa Margarita Water District, Three Valleys Water District, Golden State Water Company, Suburban Water Systems, Jurupa Community Services District and California Water Service Company have entered into agreements with Cadiz Inc. for the option to receive an annual water supply and for the ability to store water should the project become operational.