City of Palm Springs Faces Legal Challenge Regarding Low Water Bridge Project

The city of Palm Springs Sunday continued facing a lawsuit related to the South Palm Canyon Drive low-water crossing project.

The lawsuit, filed last August by the Center for Biological Diversity, stems from concerns that the city of Palm Springs allegedly did not conduct the legally required environmental analysis under the California Environment Quality Act, according to a Sunday statement from the Oswit Land Trust.

The OLT added in their statement that before the CBD filed the lawsuit, OLT raised concerns directly with the city of Palm Springs that the project did not appear to meet CEQA’s legal requirements, but OLT did not sue the city over the project.

The focus of the bridge project is conveying water under the crossing, and preventing the roadway from being damaged, structurally compromised or washed away entirely by flooding.

According to city officials, South Palm Canyon Drive has closed multiple times over the past two decades due to floodwaters overtopping the low-water crossing, most recently in February 2019.

Floods have previously required extensive cleanup to remove sediment deposits and standing water before the road could be reopened.

City officials said that approximately 700 homes rely solely on South Palm Canyon Drive, and according to city data there were 590 emergency calls from the area in 2024.

“This neighborhood, in particular, has a demographic that skews slightly older than the rest of Palm Springs, underscoring the importance of reliable emergency access for first responders, including police officers, firefighters, and EMTs,” city officials added.

Under CEQA, when sensitive habitat and protected species may be affected, cities are required to analyze environmental impacts and evaluate reasonable project alternatives that could achieve the same public safety goals, OLT officials said.

“Oswit Land Trust has consistently supported finding solutions that protect both public safety and the surrounding natural landscape. In fact, our organization proposed an alternative design that could reduce damage to sensitive habitat while still addressing flood-safety concerns. When a feasible alternative exists that could accomplish the same goal with fewer environmental impacts, it is required for the City to carefully evaluate that option,” OLT officials announced.

On the project website, the City announced that the next steps for the project in 2026 will be:

— Complete the CEQA Addendum and National Environmental Policy Act coordination, including responses to wildlife-agency comments;

— Finalize plans, specifications and estimates; confirm permits and right-of-way;

— Publicize construction bids following environmental clearance and coordinate funding with Caltrans Local Assistance;

— Before construction, public a detailed schedule, detours and access plan; maintaining communications via e-blasts, meetings and the city website.

Updates on the progress of the project will be available at engagepalmsprings.com/south-palm-canyon-drive-low-water-bridge-crossing-2.