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ARTICLE · 01 AUGUST 2025

Beyond Review: Water Contract Conversion, Reclamation Law, And California's Central Valley Project

Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
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What Happened: A Federal District Court in California ruled as a matter of statutory interpretation that certain mandatory water contract conversions for the Central Valley Project...

United StatesEnvironment
Parker Moore
Parker Moore
Gus B. Bauman
Gus B. Bauman
Patrick J. Redmond
Patrick J. Redmond
Jesse Miles
Jesse Miles
Sara M. Eddy
Sara M. Eddy
Jeremy D. Faulkner
Jeremy D. Faulkner

Key Takeaways

  • What Happened: A Federal District Court in California ruled as a matter of statutory interpretation that certain mandatory water contract conversions for the Central Valley Project are not subject to environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
  • Who Is Impacted: Water users across California, environmental consultants, and agencies.

The Center for Biological Diversity v. US Bureau of Reclamation Decision

On June 30, 2025, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California held that the conversion of temporary to permanent contracts for the Central Valley Project (CVP) water does not require additional environmental review. The decision applies to a contract conversion process outlined in Subtitle J of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, Pub L. No. 114-322, 130 Stat. 1628 (2016).

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