23 FEBRUARY 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Lytton Tribe Invests in Groundwater Banking Project Adapted from Information by Cadiz, Inc. Cadiz, Inc. and the Lytton Rancheria of California, recently signed a Letter of Intent for the Lytton Tribe to invest up to $50 million in the company’s groundwater banking project in the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Groundwater Bank is a clean water infrastructure project being developed by Cadiz in California’s Mojave Desert. It is located at the base of a 2000-square-mile watershed system fed by the rain and snow in the high desert New York and Providence mountains. The underground reservoir holds an estimated 30-40 million acre-feet of water in storage today, which is more than what is presently stored in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest surface reservoirs in the United States, combined. Lytton’s investment would be the first major investment by a Native American Tribe in large-scale water infrastructure off tribal lands in U.S. history. With 2.5 million acre-feet of new water supply and an estimated 30 million acre-feet of water in storage today, the Mojave Groundwater Bank will be the largest new groundwater bank in the Southwest. This partnership signifies a landmark collaboration in water resource management, with Tribes holding a majority ownership stake in the Mojave Groundwater Bank. This ownership structure empowers Indigenous communities to play a leading role in decision-making and investment in water projects. Lytton Tribal Chairperson Andy Mejia said, “As a Tribal Government, we take our responsibility to be good stewards of the land and the environment seriously. Working with other Tribal Governments, Cadiz, and other responsible environmental investors to develop a sustainable, responsibly managed water source in these shifting times is something we want to be involved in. With Tribal involvement in the direction and operation of this project, we can ensure that all people have a chance to benefit from this critical water resource.” Cadiz CEO and Chairperson of the Board Susan Kennedy also stated, “We are proud and honored to create this groundbreaking partnership with Lytton to develop this important project for the benefit of underserved and indigenous communities. Access to clean water will be the single greatest challenge many communities in California and the Southwest face in the coming decades. We are grateful for the chance to be part of the solution.” The project includes capturing and conserving groundwater before it reaches the surface and is lost to evaporation. Once operational, the conserved water supplies will be moved through roughly 300 miles of pipelines intersecting California’s water transportation network. It is expected to provide the underserved, disadvantaged, and tribal communities in the Mojave River Basin, the Colorado River Basin, and California’s Inland Empire with a new clean water source. Construction should begin in 2025 with initial water delivery targeted for as early as 2026. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com Water flowing through the aquifer has supported sustainable agriculture operations at Cadiz Ranch for 40 years. WTR
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