Vegetation Enhancement Projects Now Underway

Salton Sea Management Program Update – February 4, 2022

Also: Virtual Community Meeting Set for February 5 on North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project; Upcoming Community Engagement Committee Meeting; Air Quality Monitoring Network at North End of the Salton Sea

sky Projects aimed at establishing and enhancing native vegetation on exposed lakebed are underway at the Salton Sea. Work on this collaborative project with the US Bureau of Reclamation started on December 29. The purpose of this 1,700-acre project is to restore exposed lakebed sites through establishment of native vegetation and enhancement of existing vegetation communities.

The work is planned at three project sites. Two sites are located near the community of Salton City: Clubhouse (approximately 400 acres) and Tule Wash (approximately 1,215 acres). The third site is located near the community of Bombay Beach (approximately 90 acres). A stable vegetation community is expected to enhance habitat value at these sites and reduce wind-blown dust emissions.

greens Three vegetation establishment methods will be used, including natural recruitment, seeding, and planting. Vegetation in the form of seeding or planting (potted plants or plugs grown in a nursery) will be combined with physical modification(such as storm-water spreading features) and wind protection such as straw bales and water to help protect and facilitate plant growth and improve plant survival rates. Initial water supplies will be obtained through the spreading of storm-water in local creeks, and through trucked-in water for early germination at selected sites. In addition, groundwater is expected to be a supplemental water supply for irrigation in 2022 and beyond. The initial phase of work was started at the Clubhouse site in late 2021, including placement of straw bales to create conditions for plant growth by reducing wind speeds and dust emissions from across the lakebed.

The SSMP team began harvesting local seeds from around the Salton Sea in early 2021. Working with botanists, plants have been grown and tested to tolerate the salinity that is present in the region. This work is ongoing relative to the plant species and the ideal time to harvest the seeds. Planting of native plants grown in a nursery and seeds collected in 2021 will start in March following the initial phase of work.

With the initiation of the vegetation enhancement projects and the 4,100-acre Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) Project moving forward full steam, nearly 6,000 acres of restoration work is now underway at the Salton Sea with several other projects advancing in 2022, including the North Lake Demonstration Pilot Project, Desert Shores Channel Restoration Project, and others.

Virtual Community Meeting Set for February 5 on North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project

As part of a joint project of the Salton Sea Authority, Riverside County, and the SSMP, Riverside County and Salton Sea Authority invites the community to the first in a series of outreach meetings for the North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project set for Saturday, February 5.

The meeting will be an opportunity for community members to learn more about the North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project, ask questions, and provide comments on the project.

The meeting will be held virtually over Zoom on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at 1 p.m.
Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Join this community meeting by clicking this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86294358371?pwd=T1U1NTc0Vk43WksybW1Eb0UrNjZmQT09
The meeting ID is 862 9435 8371 and passcode is 20220205

The Spanish stream will be accessible through this Zoom link:
(Para acceder a la transmisión en vivo en español, haga click en este enlace) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81602965146?pwd=dFJQdCtWQ1hiWml4OEpFYkF2WTEzUT09
The meeting ID for the Spanish stream is 816 0296 5146, with passcode: 20220205

Context
As part of the state’s SSMP 10-year Plan, the vision of the North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project is to build an approximately 160-acre lake near the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club Community Center. The project would: restore and manage habitat for fish, birds, and wildlife; control dust, and revitalize the northern end of the Salton Sea, as well as the community of North Shore. This project could be integrated into a larger North Lake concept, envisioned as a ~4,030-acre horseshoe-shaped lake.

Late last year, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and the Salton Sea Authority board of directors approved reimbursement agreements that allow Riverside County to utilize $19.25 million in state funding, from the voter-approved Proposition 68 parks bond, to manage this project. In managing this project, Riverside County will serve as a subcontractor to the Salton Sea Authority in consultation with the SSMP Team. The agreement applies Riverside County’s experience and expertise in capital project delivery.

For more information and questions regarding this community meeting or support accessing the meeting, please contact Douglas Ordonez, dordonez@rivco.org

Upcoming Community Engagement Committee Meeting

The SSMP Community Engagement Committee will meet on February 9 at 2 p.m. for an online meeting on Zoom.

When: February 9, 2022 2:00 PM Pacific Time
Topic: SSMP Community Engagement Committee Meeting

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84373649191
Or join by telephone:
Dial:
USA 216 706 7075 US toll
USA 866 390 1828 US toll-free
Conference code: 787909

The committee meets regularly to coordinate outreach and engagement strategies for upcoming public community meetings. The state’s Salton Sea team collaborates with the Community Engagement Committee to ensure that proper and effective outreach methods are intentionally used to reach and engage the frontline communities of the Salton Sea region.

Meeting materials will be uploaded to the SSMP website at saltonsea.ca.gov

Air Quality Monitoring Network at North End of the Salton Sea

monitor Based on public feedback received through the Dust Suppression Action Plan, the SSMP Team is establishing an air quality network that will assess the amount of dust emissions occurring at the north end of the Salton Sea. The team installed two of five proposed monitors at the end of last year and is on target to complete installation of two more monitors this month.

This network is being established in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Coachella Valley Water District, and the Imperial Irrigation District.

The air quality monitoring stations are designed to continuously monitor and collect data for:
• PM10 concentration (dust)
• Saltation flux (sand blasting)
• Wind speed and wind direction
• General meteorological parameters

The data acquired through this network will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. It will be used to create a year-end report to inform future management actions and projects at the Sea.

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