California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Cadiz Valley
BLM found a wildlife resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place at least 231 active mining claims and 5 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 211,428 acres and was designated September 14, 2016, in the CDCA Plan, as amended by DRECP. In the plan's name, CDCA stands for California Desert Conservation Area and DRECP for Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
One of the 1,120 places the Bureau of Land Management has designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. This page shows its line, what BLM found there and what sits inside it.
The line
Who holds the claims
At least 231 claims sit inside this line: 231 active, 231 with a holder BLM names. BLM lists 231 as Active.
- TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC231claims
BLM's mining rules list designated ACECs among the places where mining that disturbs the surface beyond casual use needs a plan of operations BLM approves. Exploration of five acres or less can go ahead on a notice instead.
The rights of way
5 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 4 under non-energy facilities and 1 under interstate energy facilities.
- BRAAVOS LLC1right of way
- SF PACIFIC PROPERTIES INC1right of way
- TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC1right of way
- Los Angeles SMSA dba Verizon Wireless1right of way
- USGS1right of way
The nearest areas
- Patton Military CampsCalifornia · 20,410 acres · 3 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it9miles
- Marble Mountain Fossil BedCalifornia · 232 acres · nothing placed inside18miles
- ChemehueviCalifornia · 924,200 acres · at least 17 active mining claims and 28 more BLM lists as Filed, 36 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it27miles
- Turtle MountainsCalifornia · 51,980 acres · 1 right of way27miles
- Santos ManuelCalifornia · 40,151 acres · at least 2 active mining claims, 29 rights of way27miles
Next to it
Chuckwalla To Chemehuevi Tortoise Linkage Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Chemehuevi Area of Critical Environmental Concern touch the line.
More from BLM's California office
Every area BLM's California office holdsThe proposed rule
A proposed rule, RIN 1004-AF53, would change how BLM drafts every land use plan, and how it designates ACECs like Cadiz Valley. The comment window hasn't opened: the proposed rule wasn't in the Federal Register at our last check. The Watch sends one email the day it prints.
The rule's abstract
The purpose of this rulemaking is to establish in regulations an updated process for the approval of the development, revision, amendment, and maintenance of land use plans, as provided for by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Additionally, this rulemaking will provide clarification of the process the BLM uses for designating Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.Unified Agenda entry for RIN 1004-AF53, Publication ID 2026, reginfo.gov (OMB OIRA), read Oct 18, 2026