The Bureau of Land Management welcomes public input on the final environmental analysis for the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility in Riverside County. If approved, the proposed project could recharge up to 511,000 acre-feet of water annually and provide drinking water to 300,000 people.
Coachella Valley Water District owns and operates a groundwater replenishment facility in north Palm Springs that is partially located on approximately 690 acres of NLM-managed public lands. Coachella Valley Water District has applied for an authorization to operate, maintain and decommission the existing facility and recharge imported water annually. If approved, the BLM would issue a right-of-way grant for the existing groundwater replenishment facility in north Palm Springs.
The proposed project supports the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to meet the urgent demands of the climate crisis by helping state and local agencies continue to manage critical groundwater supplies in the West for domestic, commercial, agricultural, and industrial users.
Information about the project and the final environmental impact statement are available online at: http://ow.ly/UcSO50KhXp5. Comments can be submitted through the ePlanning project webpage or by email at blm_ca_whitewaterrecharge@blm.gov. The publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register initiates a 30-day public review period that will end on Sept. 12, 2022. For further information, please contact BLM project manager Brandon G. Anderson at 760-422-9120, or by email at bganderson@blm.gov.
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