Special Water Supply Edition: California Environmental Law & Policy Update

Focus

Federal government clears path for controversial Mojave Desert water pipeline

Los Angeles Times - July 9

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has signed off on a company’s plan to convert an oil and gas pipeline to pump groundwater from the Mojave Desert to California cities for the first time, a lucrative venture that critics say threatens natural springs and wildlife. BLM released documents saying that Cadiz Inc.’s plan to repurpose 162 miles of the pipeline to transport water “will not significantly affect” the environment.

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The Colorado River’s 2 biggest reservoirs just hit a new record low

The Salt Lake Tribune – July 17

The combined storage in the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, has dropped to a level not seen since 1956, when Glen Canyon Dam was still under construction, according to new research from the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. The two reservoirs hold almost 60% of the water stored in