Note 1 - Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared by Cadiz Inc., also referred to as "Cadiz" or "the Company", without audit and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. Basis of Presentation The foregoing Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which management considers necessary for a fair statement of the Company's financial position, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the periods presented and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences may be material to the financial statements. The results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. Liquidity The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have been prepared using accounting principles applicable to a going concern, which assumes realization of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company incurred losses of $19.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The Company had a working capital deficit of $39.7 million at September 30, 2016, and used cash in operations of $6.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. Cash requirements during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, primarily reflect certain administrative and litigation costs related to the Company's water project development efforts. Currently, the Company's sole focus is the development of its land and water assets. In April 2016, the Company issued approximately $10.0 million in aggregate principal and accrued interest of its 7.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (“2020 Notes”). The proceeds from the issuance of the 2020 Notes, approximately $8.0 million before fees, provides the Company with sufficient funds to meet its expected working capital needs through the end of February 2017. The Company has a first mortgage debt obligation of $43.1 million coming due in September 2017. Based on the Company’s current and anticipated uses of cash resources, the Company will also require additional working capital during 2017. The Company is evaluating the amount of cash needed, and the manner in which such cash will be raised. The Company has engaged an investment bank and is currently pursuing a refinancing, extension, or extinguishment of the first mortgage. The Company may meet any future cash requirements through a variety of means, including equity or debt placements, or through the sale or other disposition of assets. Limitations on the Company's liquidity and ability to raise capital may adversely affect it. Sufficient liquidity is critical to meet its resource development activities. Although the Company currently expects its sources of capital to be sufficient to meet its liquidity needs through the end of February 2017, if the Company cannot raise needed funds or refinance its current $43.1 million debt obligation prior to maturity in September 2017, it might default on its debt obligations, and, accordingly, there would be substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Supplemental Cash Flow Information The Company is required to pay 50% of its quarterly interest payments on the Senior Secured Debt in cash rather than in accretion to principal. No other payments are due on the Senior Secured Debt or convertible notes prior to their maturities. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, approximately $1.5 million in convertible notes were converted by certain of the Company’s lenders. As a result, 224,854 shares of common stock were issued to the lenders. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted In May 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standards update on revenue recognition including enhanced disclosures. Under the new standard, revenue is recognized when (or as) a good or service is transferred to the customer and the customer obtains control of the good or service. On July 9, 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral, updating the effective date to January 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time. In August 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standards update requiring an entity's management to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued when applicable). The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance which is effective for its 2016 Form 10-K filing, and believes this guidance may have an impact on disclosures as there is currently substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update related to lease accounting including enhanced disclosures. Under the new standard, a lease is defined as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of identified assets for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Lessees will classify leases with a term of more than one year as either operating or finance leases and will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern. This guidance is effective January 1, 2019, but early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time. In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to simplify the accounting for share-based payments. Under this new guidance, the tax effects related to share based payments will be recorded through the income statement. Currently, tax benefits in excess of compensation cost ("windfalls") are recorded in equity, and tax deficiencies ("shortfalls") are recorded in equity to the extent of previous windfalls, and then to the income statement. This guidance is effective January 1, 2017, but early adoption is permitted. The new standard also revised reporting on the statement of cash flows. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time. In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update which eliminates the diversity in practice related to the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows, by adding or clarifying guidance on eight specific cash flow issues. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, but early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time. Accounting Guidance Adopted In April 2015, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. Previously, accounting guidance required these costs to be presented as a deferred charge asset. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2016. At September 30, 2016, the amount of debt issuance costs that are reflected as a deduction of "Long-term debt" was $539 thousand. At December 31, 2015 the amount of debt issuance costs that have been reclassified from "Other long-term assets" as a deduction of "Long-term debt" was $626 thousand.

NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared by Cadiz Inc., also referred to as "Cadiz" or "the Company", without audit and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Basis of Presentation

The foregoing Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which management considers necessary for a fair statement of the Company's financial position, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the periods presented and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences may be material to the financial statements. The results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.

Liquidity

The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have been prepared using accounting principles applicable to a going concern, which assumes realization of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company incurred losses of $19.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The Company had a working capital deficit of $39.7 million at September 30, 2016, and used cash in operations of $6.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

Cash requirements during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, primarily reflect certain administrative and litigation costs related to the Company's water project development efforts. Currently, the Company's sole focus is the development of its land and water assets.

In April 2016, the Company issued approximately $10.0 million in aggregate principal and accrued interest of its 7.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (“2020 Notes”). The proceeds from the issuance of the 2020 Notes, approximately $8.0 million before fees, provides the Company with sufficient funds to meet its expected working capital needs through the end of February 2017.

The Company has a first mortgage debt obligation of $43.1 million coming due in September 2017. Based on the Company’s current and anticipated uses of cash resources, the Company will also require additional working capital during 2017. The Company is evaluating the amount of cash needed, and the manner in which such cash will be raised. The Company has engaged an investment bank and is currently pursuing a refinancing, extension, or extinguishment of the first mortgage. The Company may meet any future cash requirements through a variety of means, including equity or debt placements, or through the sale or other disposition of assets.

Limitations on the Company's liquidity and ability to raise capital may adversely affect it. Sufficient liquidity is critical to meet its resource development activities. Although the Company currently expects its sources of capital to be sufficient to meet its liquidity needs through the end of February 2017, if the Company cannot raise needed funds or refinance its current $43.1 million debt obligation prior to maturity in September 2017, it might default on its debt obligations, and, accordingly, there would be substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The Company is required to pay 50% of its quarterly interest payments on the Senior Secured Debt in cash rather than in accretion to principal. No other payments are due on the Senior Secured Debt or convertible notes prior to their maturities.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, approximately $1.5 million in convertible notes were converted by certain of the Company’s lenders. As a result, 224,854 shares of common stock were issued to the lenders.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

In May 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standards update on revenue recognition including enhanced disclosures. Under the new standard, revenue is recognized when (or as) a good or service is transferred to the customer and the customer obtains control of the good or service. On July 9, 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral, updating the effective date to January 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time.

In August 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standards update requiring an entity's management to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued when applicable). The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance which is effective for its 2016 Form 10-K filing, and believes this guidance may have an impact on disclosures as there is currently substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update related to lease accounting including enhanced disclosures. Under the new standard, a lease is defined as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of identified assets for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Lessees will classify leases with a term of more than one year as either operating or finance leases and will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern. This guidance is effective January 1, 2019, but early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to simplify the accounting for share-based payments. Under this new guidance, the tax effects related to share based payments will be recorded through the income statement. Currently, tax benefits in excess of compensation cost ("windfalls") are recorded in equity, and tax deficiencies ("shortfalls") are recorded in equity to the extent of previous windfalls, and then to the income statement. This guidance is effective January 1, 2017, but early adoption is permitted. The new standard also revised reporting on the statement of cash flows. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time.

In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update which eliminates the diversity in practice related to the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows, by adding or clarifying guidance on eight specific cash flow issues. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, but early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating this new guidance and cannot determine the impact of this standard at this time.

Accounting Guidance Adopted

In April 2015, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. Previously, accounting guidance required these costs to be presented as a deferred charge asset. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2016. At September 30, 2016, the amount of debt issuance costs that are reflected as a deduction of "Long-term debt" was $539 thousand. At December 31, 2015 the amount of debt issuance costs that have been reclassified from "Other long-term assets" as a deduction of "Long-term debt" was $626 thousand.