Desert Hydrology Block Diagram
March 31, 2019 - This classic block diagram by a Basin and Range Watch co-founder is going viral on social media. Pen and ink with colored pencil, this illustrates basic generalized hydrology of aquifers and springs in the Mojave Desert of California, Nevada, and Arizona. We have commented on hundreds of environmental review documents over the past 10 years where poorly-sited large-scale solar projects (especially concentrated solar thermal technologies) have proposed groundwater pumping that over the years will cause cones of depression. Large gold and lithium mines will cause groundwater impacts as well. And bad projects such as the Cadiz water storage project would also similarly impact desert aquifers.
A large portion of that blue aquifer is actually "fossil water" -- water deposited tens of thousands of years ago during Ice Ages when conditions were much wetter in the Southwest deserts, and groundwater recharge was at a maximum.
Today groundwater recharge from rainfall is minimal, and we need to minimize pumping and groundwater depletion in our precious deserts.
This was meant as a simple illustration to educate kids on field trips to the desert from urban areas, organized by friends. But as one of our board members pointed out, simplifying science down to the kindergarten level can be highly benefifical to educating adults as well.
Search the Internet for more recent news on the Cadiz water grab, a large coalition is oppsing this bad water storage proposal.
Cadiz Water Project: Contact Rep. Cook
May 26, 2017 - San Bernardino County CA - Congressman Paul Cook (R-CA, 8th District) is up for reelection in 2018 and supports the Cadiz Water Project which would pump groundwater out of the Mojave Desert to be piped to coastal southern California cities. The project will damage springs in the Mojave National Preserve. You can contact Paul Cook and tell him that his support of a project would only benefit a big company and will harm groundwater resources in the area. This is mostly fossil water, and recharge takes decades if not centuries. Contact him >>here.
Cadiz Groundwater Storage Project--A Bad Idea in the Desert
April 11, 2017 - The Trump adminsitration removed one of the main obstacles holding up the Cadiz water storage project, changing an adminisyrative finding from 2015 that the company seeking to store groundwater under the Cadiz Basin had to undergo extensive environmental review to use 43 miles of existing railraid route for its water pipeline. This original finding would have meant the Cadiz water company would need to obtain a Right-of-Way to use this railroad Right-of-Way across Bureau of Land Management land. The company is seeking to pump groundwater from wells west of Needles CA and pipe it to the Cadiz basin, to then sell to urban areas in Orange County.
The project may also be seeking financial aid from the federal government, as it was mentioned in a memo by the Trump Administration for a possible infrasctructure stimulus pick.
Check out Mojave Desert Blog for an excellent summary of the current situation concerning this unsustainable proposal.
