Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery, and Storage Project

This Notice of Determination relates to the approval of Addendum No. 2 to the Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) for the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project (Cadiz Project) as certified on July 31, 2012 (SCH No. 2011031002) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Cadiz Project, as described in the Final EIR, involves a long-term groundwater management program for the closed groundwater basin underlying Cadiz Real Estate LLC (Cadiz Real Estate) property that would allow for both the beneficial use of some of the groundwater (Phase 1) and storage of imported surface water in the groundwater basin (Phase 2). The Cadiz Project, including Phase 1 and a programmatic overview of Phase 2, was approved by the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) acting as lead agency on July 31, 2012. The first Addendum to the Final EIR (Addendum No. 1), adopted by Fenner Valley Water Authority (FVWA) acting as lead agency in 2019, assessed the construction of a water treatment system on Cadiz property and minor modifications to the Southern Pipeline route. FVWA—a joint powers authority (JPA) comprised of San Bernardino County, the Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company (FGMWC), and SMWD (managing member of FVWA)—prepared Addendum No. 2. Since the certification of the Final EIR in 2012 and the adoption of Addendum No. 1 in 2019, FVWA has proposed to convert a portion of an existing natural gas pipeline referred to as the “Northern Pipeline”, between Cadiz, California and Mojave, California, for use as a water conveyance facility that would require construction of seven new pump stations, appurtenant facilities, and rehabilitation and possible replacement of certain portions of the Northern Pipeline (collectively, the Northern Pipeline Project Modification). FVWA has prepared this Addendum No. 2 to evaluate the construction of facilities necessary to convert the Northern Pipeline, an existing underground natural gas pipeline, into a water conveyance pipeline and whether the Project Modification would result in any new significant impacts or substantial increases in the severity of previously identified significant impacts. As described in the Final EIR, the Project approved in 2012 includes construction of a wellfield and manifold system and a 43-mile water conveyance pipeline along the “Southern Pipeline” route between private property in Cadiz, California and the Colorado River Aqueduct, within an existing railroad right-of-way. In 2019, FVWA adopted Addendum No. 1 that slightly modified the Southern Pipeline water conveyance alignment by adding approximately 2 miles of pipeline in Cadiz to the 43-mile original alignment evaluated in the Final EIR. Additional water treatment facilities were also evaluated and approved. Addendum No. 2 evaluates the conversion of an existing buried steel pipeline (the Northern Pipeline) from oil/natural gas use to use as a water conveyance facility to convey and store water more flexibly throughout the region. The Northern Pipeline would provide an additional route for water conveyance between the Cadiz Valley and the Antelope Valley, separate and apart from the approved Southern Pipeline which will convey water from Cadiz to the Colorado River Aqueduct. Addendum No. 2 analyzes the environmental impacts associated with construction of facilities needed to convey water through the Northern Pipeline in combination with the Project components evaluated in the Final EIR and Addendum No. 1. The pipeline appurtenance facilities that would be constructed and visible on the surface include air release and air vacuum valves (AR/AV), blow-off (BO) facilities, and access man-holes. The AR/AVs would be installed to allow for air release and to manage vacuum conditions in the pipeline and the BOs would allow for filling and draining the pipeline as needed for maintenance. FVWA, the Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company, and Cadiz, Inc. entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to document how the Northern Pipeline fits into the scope of the Project and the respective obligations of the Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company, Cadiz, Inc., and FVWA with respect to the development, financing, construction and operation of the facilities and associated appurtenances necessary for the conveyance and delivery of Project water through the Northern Pipeline. FVWA will lease the Project Facilities to enable it to monitor compliance of the Project with all environmental, regulatory and permitting requirements. On September 25th, the Board of Directors of FVWA approved the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery, and Storage Project EIR Addendum No. 2. This is to advise that FVWA as Lead Agency approved Addendum No. 2 based on the substantial evidence in the Final EIR, Addendum No. 1 and Addendum No. 2. FVWA found that an addendum is the appropriate document under CEQA for assessing the Project Modification within the context of these earlier approved CEQA documents, and that the Project Modification does not require preparation of a supplemental or subsequent EIR or negative declaration under Public Resources Code section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines section 15162.