Rep. Ruiz Highlights Concerns with Cadiz Water Project, Calls on Bureau of Land Management for a Full Review

June 17, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. — Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25) today highlighted his deep concerns with a proposal by Cadiz, Inc. — a company backed by foreign investors — to extract and sell groundwater from the heart of the Mojave Desert. Congressman Ruiz sent a formal letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to conduct a full and rigorous environmental and historic resource review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) before rendering any decision on the right-of-way application for the Cadiz water conveyance pipeline. “The California desert is a national treasure,” said Congressman Ruiz . “I am deeply concerned by Cadiz Inc.’s longstanding effort to extract groundwater from this region for commercial export. This would have far-reaching consequences for local economies that depend on public lands and beloved places like Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave National Preserve, and Mojave Trails National Monument. The Cadiz proposal is also dangerously inconsistent with efforts to develop reliable and sustainable water supplies for communities.” Cadiz Inc. is a company backed by foreign investors that has tried for more than 40 years to extract and sell water from the heart of the Mojave Desert. The proposal calls for the extraction of 16 billion gallons of water per year for 50 years, pumped from an ancient aquifer that sustains life in one of the driest, hottest places in the world. The project area encompasses the ancestral and traditional homelands of the Chemehuevi and Mojave peoples. The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe have fought the proposed project for decades , citing its potential to cause irreparable harm to culturally significant sites, sacred landscapes, and water resources central to their cultural identity and sovereignty. Efforts to defend desert water from commercial exploitation include state law championed by Governor Gavin Newsom , oversight by federal and state legislators , and advocacy by organizations and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta . In the letter to the Department of the Interior, Congressman Ruiz also highlights his concern with how the Cadiz Project (also known as the Mojave Groundwater Bank) would impact communities that he represents. “Groundwater depletion at the scale proposed by Cadiz could lower regional water tables, threaten desert springs and seeps that sustain both ecosystems and communities, and reduce the availability of water resources that agricultural producers, rural households, and Tribal nations depend upon,” continued Congressman Ruiz . “In a region already strained by the effects of prolonged drought, the Colorado River crisis, and heat, this is not acceptable. The area I represent cannot afford to absorb the long-term costs of a commercially driven groundwater export scheme designed to benefit distant markets at the expense of local communities and irreplaceable natural resources.” The Congressman’s letter has drawn broad support from tribal nations, civil rights leaders, and community organizations across the California Desert. “This is the Mojave Desert, and we are the Mojave people, the caretakers of this land, water and wildlife since time immemorial. Our Tribe has a solemn, sacred relationship with these resources that Cadiz, Inc., a foreign investor-backed company, is targeting for exploitation and profit. Their plan to pump and sell 25 times more groundwater each year than the aquifer can replenish would desecrate our traditional territories and any community sold this water would be left with an unreliable, unsustainable supply. Science and commonsense makes clear that pumping more groundwater than is sustainably replenished is not only negligent, but dangerous to the American Desert Southwest. This is why stopping Cadiz is crucial for all those who need real, reliable water solutions. Thank you, Congressman Ruiz, for speaking out on a project that threatens our way of life and traditions and puts people and communities at risk.” - Timothy Williams, Chairman, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe “Our people have been here since time immemorial, and we will not allow the Cadiz Corporation to destroy the living landscapes that preserve and teach our traditional ways. Our people, neighboring communities, desert plants, and wildlife depend on the water that Cadiz wants to take and sell. The desert has provided these resources since its inception for our traditional homelands, and we all have responsibility for its care and safekeeping. Within our hearts, we carry the hopes and dreams of our ancestors in all we do, we move forth with purpose, like Uttsu – Roadrunner. We honor and thank Congressman Raul Ruiz for standing with us in this fight for indigenous rights and cultural survival." - Daniel Leivas, Chairman, Chemehuevi Indian Tribe “I thank Congressman Ruiz for working to protect our communities, Tribal lands, and scarce water resources from Cadiz. I have been involved in this multi-generational effort to prevent the long-term environmental injustice and disaster that Cadiz proposes and to stop Cadiz's deceitful, shameless efforts to exploit California’s precious resources. For decades, federal and state scientists have stated that water in this region is scarce, but Cadiz continues to promise it can supply water to communities. I have long advocated for real water solutions that prioritize people, especially disadvantaged communities, and the environment. That is why I strongly oppose Cadiz.” - Dolores Huerta, President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation Congressman Ruiz has called on the Department of the Interior to fulfill its legal obligations and complete a comprehensive environmental and historic resource review of the groundwater extraction and conveyance project before rendering any decision on the right-of-way application for the Cadiz Project. He has also called for robust government-to-government consultation with all affected Tribal nations, ensuring that Tribal voices are meaningfully integrated into the environmental review process. Issues : Energy and Environment