City of Fort Bragg (CFB) Oneka Desalination Buoy (Iceberg) Pilot Project Description

The City of Fort Bragg is implementing the Oneka Desalination Buoy (Iceberg) Pilot Project, which involves the deployment of a single Iceberg unit in Mill Bay, offshore of the city's wastewater treatment plant in Mendocino County, California. The primary objective of this pilot is to test new desalination technology capable of producing and delivering water to the city without requiring shore-based electricity for pumps or similar systems. This initiative aims to collect empirical data within California waters to inform the future design and permitting of a utility-scale array of Icebergs to enhance the city's water portfolio. The project is authorized under a two-year General Lease for Public Agency Use, approved by the California State Lands Commission on August 21, 2025, and remaining in effect through August 21, 2027. Environmental compliance was established through a Mitigated Negative Declaration and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program adopted by the City of Fort Bragg on May 28, 2025. These mitigation measures are formal conditions of the project's approval to ensure no significant environmental effects occur under CEQA guidelines.