California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Lake Cahuilla - C
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 1 right of way inside the line today. It covers 5,595 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
1 right of way sits inside the line. BLM files 1 under other energy facilities.
- IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT1right of way
The geothermal leases
No active geothermal lease sits inside the line.
Not counted: 3 more leases BLM lists as Closed.
The nearest areas
- Lake Cahuilla - DCalifornia · 4,724 acres · 2 rights of way3miles
- Lake Cahuilla - ACalifornia · 1,232 acres · nothing placed inside9miles
- East MesaCalifornia · 94,183 acres · 4 geothermal leases, 14 rights of way10miles
- Lake Cahuilla - BCalifornia · 2,529 acres · nothing placed inside12miles
- Plank RoadCalifornia · 416 acres · 3 rights of way21miles
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 Lake Cahuilla - C. 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