From Las Vegas Review Journal – Article by Noaki Schwartz and Garance Burke, AP
Off historic Route 66 in the heart of the California desert, the barren landscape of dry scrub and rock abruptly gives way to an oasis of tall green trees heavy with lemons and grape vines awaiting next month’s harvest.
Some think this lush farm in the unlikeliest of places sits atop a partial solution to Southern California’s water woes.
By tapping into an aquifer the size of Rhode Island under the 35,000-acre Cadiz ranch, proponents say they can supply 400,000 people with drinking water in a few years.
If the plan sounds familiar, it is. A decade ago, Los Angeles’ Metropolitan Water District narrowly rejected it when it faced widespread environmental opposition. A scaled-back version has resurfaced with a greener pitch, momentum from five water agencies and what the company contends is better science to win over skeptics.
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