Desert Groundwater At Stake As Joshua Tree Pumping Plan Moves Forward

Federal land managers have advanced plans for a $1.4 billion energy-storage project in which desert groundwater would be pumped to high-elevation reservoirs near Joshua Tree National Park and then released downhill to generate electricity. Late last week, the Bureau of Land Management found that using 1,150 acres of public land — mainly for the project’s power and water lines — would not cause significant harm to the environment. The acreage stretches between Interstate 10 and the national park. The finding moves the project, which was licensed by federal energy officials in 2014, into a 30 day period to allow for official protests.