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Salton Sea and Southern California’s Water Future
California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, depends primarily on Imperial Valley agricultural irrigation runoff to sustain itself and maintain a thriving fishery and migratory bird population.
In recent years, that water supply has been threatened because of California’s efforts to reduce its allotment of Colorado River water. Part of that reduction plan included an agreement by Imperial Irrigation District to transfer some of its water to San Diego.
Unfortunately for the Salton Sea, that transfer would have significantly reduced inflows into the Sea. The shoreline would have dropped 15 feet, exposing 70 square miles of hazardous sediment. Supporters of restoration fought long and hard to require any transfer to account for negative impacts to the Salton Sea.
In October 2003 those efforts paid off when a new water transfer deal emerged that included an estimated $300 million for Salton Sea restoration. The deal creates a closed water market to sell runoff from Imperial Valley farms to San Diego urban water users with some proceeds benefiting Sea restoration efforts.
This is good news for the Salton Sea.
Salton Sea restoration is now a major priority of the State of California and nearby water agencies. The Salton Sea Authority has assumed a leadership role in pursuing a realistic plan for restoration. The State has assumed responsibility for mitigating negative impacts from the water transfer on the Sea. State legislation calls for selection of a preferred Salton Sea restoration plan by 2006.
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Benefits of a Restored Sea
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Salton Sea Authority
78-401 Highway 111, Suite T
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 564-4888 FAX: (760) 564-5288
Email: info@saltonsea.ca.gov
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