Ninth Circuit Affirms Reclamation’s Central Valley Project Contract Conversions under the Water Infrastructure Investment for the Nation Act

August 28, 2026

On August 17, 2026, a unanimous panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a years-long challenge to the United States Bureau of Reclamation’s (“Reclamation”) conversion of certain federal water service contracts, granting a significant win to the municipal and irrigation contractors relying on those agreements to provide water to cities and farms across California. Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. United States Bureau of Reclamation et al. (Case No. 25-5137) (“CBD v. Reclamation”).