Earlier, we explored how California is fast-tracking the Delta Conveyance Project—a massive effort to modernize how we move water from north to south through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. That project, while critical for long-term resilience, is both costly and politically charged.
Now, let’s turn our lens south—to the Mojave Desert—where another ambitious project, the Cadiz Water Project, is aiming to reshape how we store, conserve, and deliver water in California. Like the Delta tunnel, Cadiz is a symbol of the scale and controversy surrounding water innovation in the West.
What Is the Cadiz Water Project?
At its core, Cadiz proposes to capture groundwater that would otherwise evaporate beneath the Mojave’s dry lakebeds—and redirect it to Southern California communities.
Key facts:
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Phase I delivers up to 50,000 acre-feet/year—enough for 400,000 people.
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Water would travel through two pipelines:
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A new 43-mile Southern Pipeline to the Colorado River Aqueduct.
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A repurposed 220-mile Northern Pipeline, once a natural gas line, connecting to the State Water Project near Barstow.
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Phase II proposes to store up to 1 million acre-feet for wet-year banking.
Like the Delta Conveyance, Cadiz is about preparing California for a hotter, drier future. But it’s taking a very different approach—pulling from groundwater rather than rerouting rivers.
Infrastructure With Equity and Energy in Mind
While the Delta tunnel focuses on modernizing legacy infrastructure, Cadiz is part of a broader trend: decentralized, desert-adapted water sourcing.
Cadiz emphasizes:
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Economic opportunity: $878 million in local impact, 3,000 jobs, with 80% of contracts aimed at small, local, or veteran-owned businesses.
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Water equity: A legally binding commitment to deliver 25,000 acre-feet/year to disadvantaged desert communities—a model the Delta tunnel could learn from.
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Tribal leadership: The Lytton Rancheria tribe has invested $50 million and will co-lead Cadiz’s groundwater bank—marking one of the first major tribal-led water infrastructure ventures in the U.S.
Controversies Mirror the Delta Tunnel Debate
Just like the Delta Conveyance Project, Cadiz has drawn fire from environmentalists and some tribal communities. Both projects share a key challenge: trust in science, oversight, and long-term impacts.
Concerns about Cadiz include:
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Potential harm to desert springs (e.g., Bonanza Spring) and fragile Mojave ecosystems.
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Skepticism over hydrological modeling and evaporation assumptions.
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Legal delays caused by regulatory reversals and public opposition.
Supporters argue the groundwater would be lost to evaporation anyway—and that Cadiz offers a more climate-resilient, energy-efficient solution than importing water from hundreds of miles away.
Comparing the Two Projects
| Feature | Delta Conveyance | Cadiz Project |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta | Mojave Desert groundwater |
| Scale | ~6,000 cfs tunnel | 50,000 AFY delivery, 1 million AFY storage |
| Focus | Modernizing north-south transport | Localized, drought-resilient supply |
| Controversy | Fish habitat, Delta communities | Desert ecosystems, tribal rights |
| Equity Tie-In | Less defined (so far) | Legally binding supply for disadvantaged communities |
| Timeline | Permit push by 2026 | Water deliveries as early as 2026 |
What Cadiz Adds to the Conversation
In the broader context of California’s water crisis, Cadiz presents a compelling counterweight to the Delta Conveyance Project. Where one leans into the legacy system, the other proposes a modular, localized water future—backed by economic inclusion and tribal leadership.
But both demand transparency, rigorous oversight, and regional dialogue. Californians must ask: Are we building the right infrastructure for the next century—or just reinforcing the old battles of the last one?
Final Thought
Whether you support it, oppose it, or are just learning about it—Cadiz, like the Delta tunnel, is a high-stakes bet on resilience. And as climate pressure mounts, we may need both local ingenuity and large-scale coordination to secure California’s water future.
Want to understand how projects like Cadiz could impact your region or organization? Reach out to BCG Water—we’re here to help you navigate California’s evolving water landscape.
