California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
East Mesa
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a natural process and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 4 geothermal leases and 14 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 94,183 acres and was designated December 12, 1980, in the CDCA Plan, as amended, DRECP amendment. 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
The rights of way
14 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 10 under non-energy facilities, 3 under other energy facilities and 1 under none.
- ORMESA LLC5rights of way
- IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT3rights of way
- USGS2rights of way
- AGRI ANALYTICS INC1right of way
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
- CA DEPT TRANSPORTATION1right of way
- PACIFIC BELL1right of way
The geothermal leases
4 active geothermal leases sit inside the line. 3 of them took effect before the area was designated on December 12, 1980.
- ORMESA LLC3leases
- CHINATI MINERALS LLC1lease
Not counted: 10 more leases BLM lists as Closed.
- CACA105416485UNION TEXAS EXPL COClosed
- CACA105442369MAGMA POWER COClosed
- CACA105443935ORMESA GEOTHERMALClosed
- CACA105445158ORMAT GEO INCClosed
- CACA105461947MAGMA POWER COClosed
- CACA105463479MAGMA POWER COClosed
- CACA105553299MAGMA POWER COClosed
- CACA105555188Holder not listed by BLMClosed
- CACA105556085Holder not listed by BLMClosed
- CACA105559740Holder not listed by BLMClosed
The nearest areas
- Lake Cahuilla - BCalifornia · 2,529 acres · nothing placed inside7miles
- Lake Cahuilla - ACalifornia · 1,232 acres · nothing placed inside8miles
- Lake Cahuilla - CCalifornia · 5,595 acres · 1 right of way10miles
- Lake Cahuilla - DCalifornia · 4,724 acres · 2 rights of way12miles
- Singer GeoglyphsCalifornia · 1,853 acres · at least 1 active mining claim15miles
Next to it
Lake Cahuilla - A Area of Critical Environmental Concern touches 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 East Mesa. 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