Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Tom Kirk (760) 564-4888

April 30, 2003

The leadership of the Salton Sea Authority today praised State Sen. Michael Machado for his amendment to State Senate Bill 750 that would add $1 billion for a program to integrate restoration of the Salton Sea with water transfers.

"This is absolutely fantastic news for the Sea," said Authority Executive Director Tom Kirk."I want to thank Senator Machado for his leadership and vision and the Audubon Society and other members of the Salton Sea Environmental Coalition for their commitment."

The Authority board earlier this year voted to take the lead from the federal government in identifying a Salton Sea solution and in April unanimously endorsed a plan that integrates water supply for urban needs with habitat and recreation protection at the Sea.

"This bill would provide the kind of funding we need to implement such an integrated management plan," said Kirk.
It would combine the Sea's preservation with transfers through a desalinization process and reducing the size of the lake. Funds from the transfer would be used to pay for the restoration costs. The integrated plan could eliminate the need for long term fallowing of farm ground in the Imperial Valley.

Machado's amendment would fund increases in available water supplies to urban areas as required by the Quantification Settlement Agreement and at the same time protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat at the Salton
Sea.

The bill stipulates that the first priority of the funds would be for a water reuse plan allowing for treatment, desalinization and reuse of a portion of the agricultural wastewater and runoff now flowing to the Salton Sea. 

It provides for a transfer of up to 500,000 acre-feet per year with proceeds
of the transfer to be used to cover capital and operation costs of restoration.

 

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