# Cadiz Desert water project controversy

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/cadiz-desert-water-project-controversy
> Updated: 2026-07-28T19:48:00.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

In early July 2026 the federal government approved Cadiz Inc.'s plan to repurpose an abandoned oil‑and‑gas pipeline for extracting and exporting groundwater from the Mojave Desert. Within weeks, environmental organizations—including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club—filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court. The suit challenges the Bureau of Land Management's approval, arguing that the water‑pumping operation would violate the National Environmental Policy Act and other statutes, dry up springs, harm desert species such as the tortoise and bighorn sheep, and create dust storms from exposed lakebeds. The litigation follows earlier legal actions against the project, indicating an ongoing dispute over the environmental impacts of large‑scale groundwater extraction in the Mojave.

## Timeline

### 2026-07-28: Environmental Groups Sue Trump Over Cadiz Project in Mojave

Environmental groups sued the Trump administration in Los Angeles federal court, challenging the BLM's approval of the Cadiz water project pipeline that would pump groundwater from the Mojave Desert, citing end

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/environmental-groups-sue-trump-over-cadiz-project-in-mojave

### 2026-07-10: Cadiz Inc. gets federal approval to repurpose pipeline for Mojave Desert water export

The Trump administration, via the BLM, approved Cadiz Inc.'s plan to convert a 162‑mile oil pipeline into a water conduit for the Mojave Desert, despite opposition from environmentalists and tribal groups.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cadiz-inc-gets-federal-approval-to-repurpose-pipeline-for-mojave-desert-water-export

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Cite as: Cadiz Desert water project controversy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/cadiz-desert-water-project-controversy