Coalition files appeal opposing BLM's approval of Pine Valley Water Project pipeline to Cedar City

A broad coalition, spearheaded by the Great Basin Water Network and including multiple county governments, farmers, ranchers, and environmental groups, has filed an appeal against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) recent approval of the Pine Valley Water Supply Project. This groundwater mining initiative, proposed by the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District (now Cedar Valley Water Conservancy), aims to export water to Cedar City, Utah, from the West Desert via a new pipeline. Opponents contend that the BLM's March 2 Record of Decision violates federal law by enabling severe harm to private property, water rights, public resources, and the environment. The 528-page appeal, submitted on April 1 to the U.S. Department of the Interior Board of Land Appeals, also requests a stay of the BLM decision, which the board has 45 days to consider. Critics argue that the BLM's scientific assumptions regarding the regional impacts of large-scale groundwater pumping on aquifers are flawed, and that the public review period for the Final Environmental Impact Statement was unacceptably brief. Rancher Mark Wintch expressed strong opposition, stating he would not allow his water to be siphoned for "data centers, warehouses, sprawl and power plants in Cedar City." Beaver County Commissioner Tammy Pearson and White Pine County Commissioner Paula Carson underscored their counties' commitment to protecting residents' rights and challenging the "unnecessary and unsustainable project." Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, asserted that Cedar City is over-pumping its existing water supplies and should explore purchasing senior water rights from local farmers rather than extracting water from rural communities. The coalition highlights ongoing hydrologic, economic, and legal concerns, pointing to potential aquifer drawdown impacts across several valleys and drawing parallels to a previously halted water export project for Las Vegas.