A 2015 file photo from the shores of the Salton Sea.

On Thursday, Nov. 17, California Department of Water Resources announced a grant for $14 million from the Wildlife Conservation Board to help fund habitat restoration at the Salton Sea. Good news for sure.

That funding will be earmarked for Phase One of the State’s Species Conservation Habitat project, covering the costs of constructing some 640 acres of new fish habitat on exposed playa that will in turn serve the needs of migratory birds. And, the habitat project—by covering playa—will protect human health. But there’s an added benefit to this funding. Ultimately, it means that the $80.5 million from Proposition 1 funds, which Governor Jerry Brown pledged to the Sea, will be freed up (at least $60 million of it) to build additional habitat at the Sea.

In a press release, California Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird said, “This new

Read More

Members of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors and staff are pictured with members of the Imperial Valley farming community at local farmer Craig Elmore’s Desert Sky Farm, one of the stops on the Water Authority’s Imperial Valley tour Thusday, Nov. 3.

On Thursday, Nov. 3, board members and staff from the San Diego County Water Authority traveled to the Imperial Valley for a daylong tour of on-farm conservation projects and mitigation projects as they relate to the Quantification Settlement Agreement and an update on Salton Sea restoration efforts. It was a very informational tour, providing the Water Authority board and staff a chance to meet with and learn from the Imperial Valley farming community. The Water Authority would like to take a moment through this blog to thank those who made the tour possible.

First off, we’d like to thank the executive directors of the three

Read More

A photo of the Salton Sea taken from Poe Road this month.

Of late, it might appear this blog has become a tale of the Salton Sea, but that should be viewed in a positive light as it suggests the pace at which there are new developments to discuss. Most recently, President Obama was in Lake Tahoe for an environmental summit during which he spoke of the need to reverse the deterioration of the Salton Sea and help “a lot of folks all across the West.” It may only be a single statement, and it may be more symbolic than the kind of call for action most of us would like to see, but nevertheless to have the President speak of the Sea is an important step. The hope is that the Sea has become a Federal priority, and while the truth of that will have to be proven

Read More