February 17, 2019 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) last week issued the following statement in support of SB 307, legislation introduced in the California Senate to protect the ecologically fragile Mojave Desert from harmful projects like the Cadiz water extraction project:

“I strongly support SB 307 and hope the California legislature will move quickly to pass this crucial legislation. The Trump administration has rolled back key protections at the federal level, so we need the state legislature to step up and pass this critically important legislation to stop projects like Cadiz.

“Cadiz wants to drain up to 50,000 acre feet of water every year from a major desert aquifer, disregarding independent scientific analysis that shows the project just isn’t workable. The U.S. Geological Survey has repeatedly stated the natural recharge rate for the aquifer is only between 2,000 and 10,000 acre feet per year. The National Park Service has confirmed that analysis.

“Water is the lifeblood of the California desert. It supports the unique flora and fauna, like the rare desert tortoise that make our desert special. Without this legislation, all of that could be lost.

“I want to thank Senator Roth and Assemblywoman Friedman for their continued efforts to protect our desert. Without it, our iconic desert would be left vulnerable to Cadiz and other environmentally disastrous projects.”
Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein

Related Information: California Legislation Protects Desert, Calls Water Mining Proposal into Question, National Parks Conservation Association Reports