History
Founded in 1983, Cadiz Inc. is a publicly-held land and water resource development company based in Los Angeles. The Company began after initially acquiring 11,000 acres of land in the Cadiz Valley of eastern San Bernardino County. A NASA-funded research project that integrated satellite imagery with geological, geophysical, and geochemical survey methods played a major role in the selection and evaluation of the Company's landholdings and related water resources. Through analysis of the NASA research, the founders of the Company determined that our landholding is situated over a large aquifer system able to provide a significant water supply for various uses.
In 1984, we constructed the first production wells at our Cadiz Valley property to determine the potential of the aquifer system. The wells yielded high-quality groundwater. A year later, we more than doubled the size of the Cadiz Valley property – expanding to 27,000 acres.
With such a vast underground water resource, fertile soil and warm weather, the area was ripe for agricultural development. In 1986, we planted the first table grape vineyards with much success. In 1989, we added a citrus orchard and have continued to sample various crops, including melons and peppers. In 1993, the Cadiz Ranch was recognized as the largest agricultural operation in San Bernardino County.
In addition to our agricultural operations, in 1998 we began to develop the a groundwater storage & supply project in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The project was designed to provide a new water supply to southern California and to store surplus Colorado River water. Following five years of environmental analysis and approvals from the federal government, MWD decided not to proceed with the project.
Recognizing the continued need for new water supplies in California, we began work to implement the water project independent of Metropolitan. In September 2008, we executed a 99-year lease agreement with the Arizona and California Railroad Company (ARZC) to utilize a portion of the railroad’s existing right-of-way for the Project's water conveyance pipeline. The pipeline would connect the Project facilities at our Cadiz Valley property with the Colorado River Aqueduct.
In May 2009 we entered into a Memorandum of UNderstanding with the Natural Heritage Institute (NHI) designed to ensure the sustainable management of our landholdings and water resources. Founded in 1989, NHI is a leading global environmental organization dedicated to restoring and protecting water-dependent ecosystems.
In June 2009, we signed Letters of Intent with five Southern California water providers to develop a cost-sharing agreement, finalize terms of pricing, design and capital allocation and work towards implementation of the Cadiz Water Conservation and Storage Project.
In addition to the water project we are pursuing the best uses of our land and water resources in an environmentally sensitive and economically prudent manner. We currently own approximately 45,000 acres (70 square miles) in three blocks of land in eastern San Bernardino County. All of our properties are well suited for solar energy development and water projects, which we will continue to explore.
To view a timeline of Cadiz’s corporate history, click here.
