Ridgecrest residents expected to shoulder financial burden to access water in the future
The consequences of the California Superior Court’s final ruling in the Phase One trial of the Indian Wells Valley groundwater adjudication threatens regional stability and national security, according to the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority after several conversations with impacted parties and federal policymakers.
The final statement of decision was issued September 15, 2025, and now sets the U.S. Navy’s federal reserved water right at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake at just 2,008 acre-feet per year (AFY), a fraction of the Navy’s previous reserved water right of 6,783 AFY. The ruling will have long-lasting negative impacts on the residents and businesses of Ridgecrest and Kern County.
While the Navy’s current on-site water use aligns closely with the court’s figure, the decision failed to account for the broader, mission-critical needs of the military installation. Specifically, the federal reserved water right was established by the Navy to ensure the availability of groundwater for off-base personnel, contractors, and dependents who live in the City of Ridgecrest and surrounding communities and make up more than 85% of the installation’s workforce.
“This ruling doesn’t just miscalculate water, it miscalculates the value of China Lake to our region and our nation,” said Scott Hayman, Chair of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “By artificially capping the Navy’s water right, the court has jeopardized the long-term viability of the installation and set a dangerous precedent for other military bases across California.”
A Precedent That Undermines National Defense
The court’s decision contradicts longstanding federal case law, including the Winters Doctrine, which affirms that federal reserved water rights cannot be lost through non-use. Instead, the court relied on recent, reduced water usage trends driven by conservation and infrastructure changes to permanently fix the Navy’s right at a diminished level. This approach ignores the installation’s historical and future needs, including its role in weapons testing, low-flight operations, and national defense. It also opens the door to challenge federal reserved water rights at military installations across California.
“This ruling effectively forfeits a vested federal property interest without legal basis,” said Hayman. “It disregards decades of precedent and undermines the flexibility military installations need to fulfill their evolving missions.”
Impact on Local Water Rates
The decision also prevents the Navy from allocating any portion of its federal reserved water right to the civilian water provider, in this case the Indian Wells Valley Water District, which serves off-base military personnel and their families.
With the Navy’s water right capped and the Water District unable to access that supply, the Water District will be forced to purchase additional water rights on the open market in the future at an estimated cost increase of four to six times. This will place a financial burden on both installation personnel and Ridgecrest residents.
In this case, industrial interests that included Searles Valley Minerals and Meadowbrook Dairy, successfully used litigation to challenge the Navy’s water rights in order to seek a larger share of the basin’s sustainable yield.
“The only winners here are private entities looking to profit from water at the expense of public agencies and national defense,” said Hayman. “This is not groundwater management, it’s groundwater manipulation.”
IWVGA’s Commitment to Sustainability and Security
Despite the ruling, IWVGA remains committed to its mission of managing the Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin in a way that balances sustainability, affordability, and strategic importance. The Authority continues to advocate for imported water solutions and infrastructure investment to ensure long-term viability for all basin users.
“We will continue to support the scientific and legally sound claims of the U.S. Navy,” said Hayman. “This decision may be final in the courtroom, but the fight for fair and sustainable water management will continue.”
About the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority: The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (IWVGA) is the groundwater sustainability agency for the critically overdrafted Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin. The basin spans portions of Kern, Inyo, and San Bernardino Counties. It is home to the City of Ridgecrest and the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, a critical low-flight, weapons development, and testing facility. The groundwater basin serves approximately 38,000 residents.
IWVGA is a joint powers authority that includes representatives from Kern County, the City of Ridgecrest, Inyo County, San Bernardino County, and the Indian Wells Valley Water District. Two federal agencies, the United States Navy and the Bureau of Land Management, are also represented as ex-officio members of the IWVGA Board.
