Project Support old
Support for the Project and its numerous water supply and economic benefits stretches far and wide across government, business, academic and NGO sectors. Many local California residents and individuals concerned about California’s water challenges have also voiced their support. To join this growing group, visit our advocacy page at (www.water4socal.com/support/). To view some of the strong statements of support we’ve received, check out the lists below. New support is added regularly.
To Download our Project Support List, Click Here
GOVERNMENT
Supervisor Shawn Nelson (OC – 4th District): “While greater conservation efforts are of course part of a long-term drought solution, it has never been more important to secure new, reliable water supplies. The Cadiz Project is such a supply that could provide 2.5 million acre-feet of new water to Southern California and, over the long-term, provide new groundwater storage opportunities.” (view letter)
Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA): “As with a number of water supply proposals, Cadiz presents an opportunity to add to the MWD’s service area, including increasing water supply in the San Diego area. (I)nnovative projects, such as the Cadiz Project, could have a significant positive impact across all sectors in southern California.”
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett (OC- 5th District): “After extensive review and outreach, I am pleased to lear that MWD and Cadiz Inc. are working collaboratively to ensure conformity to necessary water quality and operational standards. While ensuring reliable and safe drinking water, I encourage the Board and staff to do everything they can within MWD’s administrative procedures to expedite the delivery of Cadiz water to Southern California.”
(view letter)
Congressman Duncan Hunter Jr. (R-CA): “The possibility of Cadiz providing 50 years of ready water serving over 100,000 families per year is an exceptionally positive step forward for our water management portfolio in Southern California.” (view letter)
Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) & Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN): “Now more than ever, stakeholders across California must work together to eliminate barriers to new water supplies in order to regain the economic prosperity its residents have historically enjoyed.” (view letter)
Congresswoman Mimi Walters: “The Cadiz Project offers an exceptional, near-term opportunity to improve water supply reliability for my constituents and our economy.” (view letter)
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher: “It is clear that, as well as smart conservation, we must search for new water supply sources. It is for this reason I wrote to you in support of the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery & Storage Project and its potential to deliver water to 100,000 families over 50 years.” (view letter)
Lacy Kelly, CEO, Association of California Cities – Orange County: “As the hub for good public policy in Orange County, the ACC-OC has studied and deliberated over the Project. The conclusion was simple: please support its rapid approval and construction to help bring water security to Orange County and beyond.”
(view letter)
Congressman Paul Cook: “I believe the Project to be sustainable in terms of water recharge rates and in avoiding adverse effects on top soil. With the [ recent ] court approvals in mind and so many jobs at stake, I believe further investigation into environmental impacts [at the federal level] to be unnecessary.” (view letter)
Congresswoman Mimi Walters, Assembly Member Pat Bates (R-Orange County), Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey, joint statement: “The terrible drought that is now gripping the state has highlighted the need for the continuing pursuit of new, sustainable water supplies. We wish to once again express our support of the Cadiz Water Project We ask [you] to give the project positive consideration, and upon its approval, to do all you can to expedite its completion and the delivery of much-needed Cadiz water to Southern California.”
(view letter)
Congressman Darrell Issa: “As designed the Cadiz Project captures water that would otherwise become undrinkable and evaporate at desert dry lakes. California’s water is too precious to be allowed to be wasted. Every effort must be made to conserve water from evaporation and to put it to the highest beneficial use.”
Congressman Jim Costa, Congresswoman Gloria Negrete-McLeod, Congressman Gary Miller, Congressman John Campbell, joint statement: “In Southern California especially, all viable water projects that relieve pressure on the Delta and increase local supply and storage opportunities, including the Cadiz Project, are essential and should be pursued. The Cadiz Project would play a significant role in reducing Southern California’s dependence on the Delta by providing a safe and sustainable local water supply for approximately 100,000 families in Southern California yearly.”
Mayor Aquanetta Warren, City of Fontana: “The Cadiz Project would bring exactly the kind of quality green jobs we need in our area, and support Fontana’s local manufacturers…The Cadiz Project offers a new opportunity to help the local economy bounce back.”
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Jordan Brandman, Councilman, City of Anaheim
Bill Brough, California State Assembly, Dana Point
Tom Daly, California State Assembly, Anaheim
Eric Linder, California State Assembly, Corona
Ling Ling Chang, California State Assembly, Diamond Bar
John Cole, former Mayor, City of Twentynine Palms
Ray Haynes, California State Senate, Temecula, retired.
Dennis Hollingsworth, California State Senate and State Republican Leader, Murrieta, retired
Janet Nguyen, California State Senate, Garden Grove
Ed Royce, US House of Representatives, CD-39, Hacienda Heights
C. David Renquest, former superintendent, Needles Unified School District
Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor, State of California
John Tavaglione, Board of Supervisors, Riverside County
BUSINESS & LABOR
Los Angeles County Business Federation (Biz-Fed): “The Cadiz Project is an innovative, sustainable water source for Southern California that will greatly benefit our economy and communities. In order to remain one of the world’s leading economies, we must maintain a reliable water supply and we are proud to lend our support to this extremely beneficial project.”– Tracy Rafter, CEO
Southern California District Council of Laborers, LIUNA: “The Cadiz Project is a new, innovative water supply that can also make a significant contribution to the local job market and economy. We encourage elected officials throughout Southern California to do all they can to support this important project, so that we can put our community to work as soon as possible and our region can enjoy greater water supply reliability without further delay.”
– Armando “Mando” Esparza, Business Manager (view letter)
San Gabriel Valley Legislative Coalition of Chambers: “We encourage the Board of Directors of MWD to make the arrangements necessary to move this new supply to our region in all due haste, so that we and others throughout Southern California can quickly enjoy the security that will come with the greater water supply reliability afforded by the Cadiz project.”
– Cliff Hamlow, Chair (view letter)
Construction Industry Coalition on Water Quality: “The Board of Directors of CICWQ has endorsed the completion of the Cadiz Water Project. In drought and non-drought years alike, such an abundant new source of high quality water will provide additional security to Southern California residents and businesses, with no significant environmental impact, as verified by the recent dismissal of CEQA litigation against the project. From a water quality perspective, the Cadiz water’s low TDS will help to reduce salt content in the Colorado River Aqueduct, which ….would provide benefits valued at $240 million over the life of the Project.”
– Michael W. Lewis, Senior Vice-President (view letters)
Orange County Business Council: “A reliable supply of safe, affordable water is critical to a healthy economy and business community, which is why the OCBC considers water supply reliability as one of its critical public policy issues. The current extreme drought in California, which is estimated to have already had a $2.2 billion impact on the state’s agricultural economy, only verifies the issue’s importance and deepens our concerns. Therefore OCBC supports the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery & Storage Project, which would provide 2.5 million acre-feet of water to Southern California over its 50-year life, serving the needs of 100,000 families each year.” – Bryan Starr, Sr. Vice President, Government Affairs (view letter)
Building Industry Association of Southern California: “The Inland Empire faces particularly challenging water supply problems that could slow economic growth and harm the quality of life of County residents, and we believe the Cadiz Project, as approved, could be a valuable additional supply for water users [here].”
– Steven Schuyler, Executive VP (view letter)
Engineering Contractors Association: “The Cadiz Project is a strong example of private investment for public good, and will bring a reliable local Southern California water supply to approximately 400,000 people in the region. Designed to minimize the building footprint and with no long-term impacts to the desert environment, this project represents sustainable design and a tangible and long lasting improvement to the local water supply.”
– Wes May, Executive Director
Laborers International Union of North America, Local 783: “We are convinced that the Project can provide a safe, sustainable water supply while also creating much-needed local jobs and investment. We encourage local, state and federal government agencies and all interested parties to move quickly to remove any further impediments to Project construction and we express our unqualified support.”
– Richard Sierra, Business Manager
Inland Empire Economic Partnership: ““It is imperative that the region take a long-term view and move forward with local projects that can improve the certainty that sufficient water will be available when and where it is needed… In addition, the Cadiz Project has made a commitment to local vendors and workers, a pledge that will have far reaching direct benefits within San Bernardino County.”
– Paul Granillo, CEO, Inland Empire Economic Partnership (view letter)
OC Taxpayers Association: “The Cadiz water project will provide the essential public benefit of greater water supply reliability, and because it will be financed by the private sector, taxpayers will not be asked to absorb the risk. OCTax heartily supports this approach and this project.”
– Reed Royalty, Executive Director Emeritus
Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance: “On behalf of the Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance and the chamber membership of business owners we represent, we support the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation Recovery and Storage Project. Recognizing the benefits to San Bernardino County, and the importance of water in the Southern California region, we encourage our elected officials and public agencies to move forward with the necessary approvals to implement the Project.”
– Darlene Curley, Secretary
South Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce: “The Cadiz Project is the kind of innovative project which will help Orange County and Southern California reassert our position as to where business wants to be. The Chamber enthusiastically supports the Cadiz Valley Water Project.”
– John Whitman, Chairman, Board of Directors
Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce: “Cadiz Inc. has been an active participant in the local community for decades. The Cadiz organic farm has hosted events, donated to local charities, and has been an all- around good neighbor. We have no doubt they will continue to be responsible and show care for the community and the environment while building and operating the project. The project would have major economic benefits in the High Desert area and especially in the community of Twentynine Palms.”
– Maggie Chaffer, President
Needles Chamber of Commerce: “The Needles Chamber of Commerce proudly supports the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation Recovery and Storage Project. With their commitment to our community over the past few years, we know that this project’s impact will have many positive effects for generations to come. …This forward thinking project will have significant value to not just our part of Southern California, but possibly all over the world for its forward thinking technology.
– Jeff Williams, President
More…
Adelanto Chamber of Commerce
The Morongo Basin Regional Economic Development Consortium
Orange County Business Council
Orange County Association of Realtors
Redlands Chamber of Commerce
Fontana Chamber of Commerce
Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce
Roscoe Moss Company
Layne Christensen Company
Northwest Pipe Company
NOV Ameron Co.
California Steel Industries, Inc.
Willits & Newcomb, Inc.j
ACADEMIA/SCIENCE
Dr. John Husing, PhD, Economist: “The construction phase of the Cadiz Valley Water Project would create a cumulative total of nearly 6,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs over the four years of effort, to tap into San Bernardino County’s extensive labor supply, where the high desert unemployment was 16.4% in March 2011. It would also support local manufacturers of materials used in construction of wells, pipelines, and power generation, with a net local four year economic impact of $878 million.”
Dr. Charles Groat ,, former director of the U.S. Geological Survey, Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin: “I find the project to be viable and capable of being implemented and administered without deleterious effects on the environment. The monitoring plan will ensure that any unanticipated effects are detected and dealt with.”
Anthony Brown, M.Sc. Engineering & Hydrology: “There is solid measured evidence of significant evaporation occurring in the system and given the low amount of proposed pumping relative the significant size of the basin, the Cadiz Project can be intelligently managed to provide a new beneficial use without any harm.”
Terry Foreman, PG, C.Hg., CH2M HILL & Dennis Williams, Ph.D, PG., C.Hg., GEOSCIENCE: “Having physically worked in the Project site area many times over the past decade, we have physically observed geologic, hydrologic and various testing (pumping and recharge tests), for many years. The project represents best industry practices in groundwater basin management and … will make a new reliable source of water available to Southern California for the next 50 years.”
More …
Rod Banyard, Retired Executive Director, West Australia Waters and River Commission & Professional Civil Engineer
Jack Sharp, Ph.D., Dave P. Carlton Centennial Professor of Geology, University of Texas
Steven McCaffrey, Distinguished Professor, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law; Scholar and Counselor, Institute for Sustainable Development
Robert Wilkinson, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer & Adjunct Instructor of Water Policy, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California at Santa Barbara
Bill Blomquist, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Professor of Political Science & Adjunct Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
NGOs: Non-Governmental Organizations
Natural Heritage Institute: “We see the Green Compact [Cadiz has pledged to follow] as a potential model for how the private sector and the environmental community can work together to achieve environmental betterment. This agreement will potentially yield a variety of significant environmental benefits, from wild land preservation to clean energy to the restoration of threatened water systems.” – Greg Thomas, President
San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society Inc.: “The Cadiz Project … could make water available for the eventual operation of a tourist steam locomotive along the [Arizona and California Railroad Company’s] line. This operation will create numerous benefits for the rail tourism industry in Southern California and provide a cultural magnet to draw people from across the country to visit the many wonders of San Bernardino County and the eastern Mojave Desert.” – Paul G. Prine, RPh. , President and Business Manager
American Ground Water Trust: “I would like to pass on to you my professional judgment that this is a unique project. That it should go forward. It is not going to cause grief or harm. Many of the problems that I have heard articulated are not related to the facts of the matter… I urge you to look very carefully at the science. It is good science.” – Andrew Stone, Executive Director