Water is Now Filling a Major Aquatic Restoration Project at the Salton Sea!
As we continue to expand the largest restoration project at the Salton Sea, the Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) Project, this month marks a critical milestone: for the first time, water is flowing into the first pond (“East Pond”) of the project! The East Pond is now receiving mixture of Salton Sea and New River water. Once the East Pond is filled by the end of May, water will be directed into the next pond at the project (“East Pond 1 Expansion Pond”). Together, these ponds will provide about 2,000 acres of habitat restoration – a little over three square miles. This achievement marks an important step towards meeting the goals to improve conditions at 29,800 acres of aquatic and dust suppression projects around the Salton Sea.
Picture taken on April 2. Looking east of the New River Diversion Structure, a berm was breached to allow water to flow by gravity from the east sedimentation basin into the east pond.Satelite Imagery of the SCH Project as the East Pond is being filled with water. Pictures taken April 9 and 21.
Implementation of the SCH Project was initiated in 2021. With the East Pond 1 Expansion, the project footprint has now expanded to cover nearly 5,000 acres at the south end of the Sea. Further expansion on the Center and West Ponds is envisioned, to add an additional 4,500 acres to the project — raising the total SCH footprint to over 9,000 acres. The SCH Project aims to restore deep and shallow water habitats lost as a result of the Salton Sea’s increasing salinity and recession, while providing an important dust suppression benefit to surrounding communities at the south end of the Sea.
SSMP Engagement Opportunities
JOIN US TODAY! Community Meeting on the 2025 SSMP Annual Report
The SSMP team is hosting an in-person meeting and a virtual Zoom meeting on its 2025 Annual Report. Join us at one of the upcoming community meetings to learn more about what’s happening at Salton Sea
Receive an overview of the recently released 2025 SSMP Annual Report, learn about the restoration projects at the Sea and current planning efforts, and meet with members of the State’s Salton Sea team to ask questions and provide feedback.
Spanish interpretation will be provided. Habrá interpretación al español.
All community members are welcome!
Wednesday, April 30 at 5:30 pm, in person. West Shores Community Center, 3389 Sea View Avenue, Thermal, CA 92274
Thursday, May 1, at 12:00 pm Virtual Meeting on Zoom bit.ly/SSMP2025meeting or dial: +1 (669) 444-9171
Imperial Valley Salton Sea Conference Set for May 9
SSMP partners, Los Amigos de la Comunidad and the Pacific Institute are bringing a full-day conference at Imperial Valley College. This event is being offered for free for participants to hear more about community and public health; the Colorado River and Water; an update on the 2025 SSMP Annual Report; and an update on lithium.
Friday, May 9, in-person Imperial Valley College 380 E Aten Rd, Imperial, CA 92251
REMINDER: Annual Salton Sea Workshop by the State Water Board
The annual report and the status of the SSMP will be the focus of an all-day public workshop convened by the State Water Board on May 21, 2025.
The State Water Resources Control Board will hold its annual workshop on the status of Phase 1 of the Salton Sea Management Program on May 21, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to ~6:00 p.m. The one-day workshop will be hosted at the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board Room 87-225 Church Street, Thermal, CA 92274, and a virtual participation option through Zoom. Public comments are welcomed and encouraged.
Spanish interpretation will be provided as well as materials translated into Spanish. Additional meeting information will be uploaded as it becomes available on the Water Board Salton Sea page at waterboards.ca.gov/saltonsea/.
LEARN ABOUT RESTORATION EFFORTS AT THE SALTON SEA AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED!
PLEASE JOIN US AT ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS! • Get an overview of the recently released 2025 SSMP Annual Report • Learn about restoration protects at the Sea and current planning efforts • Meet with members of the State’s Salton Sea team to ask questions and provide feedback
In-Person Meeting, April 30
April 30. 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Venue: West Shores Community Center Address: 3389 Sea View Ave. Thermal, California 92274
¡El agua ya está llenando un importante proyecto de restauración acuática en el Salton Sea!
A medida que continuamos ampliando el mayor proyecto de restauración en el Salton Sea, el Proyecto de Hábitat de Conservación de Especies (SCH), este mes marca un hito crítico: ¡por primera vez, el agua fluye hacia el primer estanque (“Estanque Este”) del proyecto! El estanque este recibe ahora una mezcla de agua del Salton Sea y del Río Nuevo. Una vez que el estanque este lleno a finales de mayo, el agua se dirigirá al siguiente estanque del proyecto (“Estanque de expansión este 1”). Juntos, estos estanques proporcionarán alrededor de 2.000 acres de restauración del hábitat – un poco más de tres millas cuadradas. Este logro supone un paso importante hacia la consecución de los objetivos de mejora de las condiciones en 29.800 acres de proyectos acuáticos y de supresión de polvo en torno al Salton Sea.
Fotografía tomada el 2 de abril. Mirando hacia el este de la estructura de desvío de New River, se rompió una berma para permitir que el agua fluyera por gravedad desde la cuenca de sedimentación este hacia el estanque este.Imágenes por satélite del Proyecto SCH mientras se llena de agua el Estanque Este. Imágenes tomadas el 9 y el 21 de abril.
La ejecución del Proyecto SCH se inició en 2021. Con la Ampliación del Estanque Este 1, la huella del proyecto se ha ampliado hasta cubrir casi 5,000 acres en el extremo sur del Mar. Se prevén nuevas ampliaciones en los estanques central y occidental, que añadirán al proyecto 4,500 acres adicionales, con lo que la huella total del SCH superará los 9,000 acres. El proyecto SCH tiene por objeto restaurar los hábitats de aguas profundas y poco profundas perdidos como consecuencia del aumento de la salinidad y la recesión del Salton Sea, al tiempo que proporciona un importante beneficio de supresión de polvo a las comunidades circundantes en el extremo sur del mar.
Oportunidades de participación en el SSMP
ÚNASE A NOSOTROS HOY Reunión comunitaria sobre el informe anual del SSMP de 2025
El equipo del SSMP está organizando una reunión en persona y una reunión virtual de Zoom sobre su Informe Anual 2025. Únase a nosotros en una de las próximas reuniones de la comunidad para aprender más sobre lo que está sucediendo en Salton Sea
Reciba una descripción general del Informe Anual 2025 del SSMP recientemente publicado, aprenda sobre los proyectos de restauración en el Salton Sea y los esfuerzos de planificación actuales, y reúnase con miembros del equipo estatal del Salton Sea para hacer preguntas y proporcionar comentarios.
Habrá interpretación al español. Habrá interpretación al español.
¡Todos los miembros de la comunidad son bienvenidos!
Miércoles, 30 de abril a las 5:30 pm, en persona. Centro Comunitario West Shores, 3389 Sea View Avenue, Thermal, CA 92274
Jueves, 1 de mayo, a las 12:00 pm Reunión virtual en Zoom bit.ly/SSMP2025reunión o marque +1 (669) 444-9171
La Conferencia sobre el Salton Sea del Valle Imperial se celebrará el 9 de mayo
Los socios del SSMP, Los Amigos de la Comunidad y el Pacific Institute están trayendo una conferencia de un día completo en el Imperial Valley College. Este evento se ofrece de forma gratuita para que los participantes escuchen más sobre la comunidad y la salud pública; el Río Colorado y el Agua; una actualización sobre el Informe Anual del SSMP 2025; y una actualización sobre el litio.
Viernes, 9 de mayo, en persona Imperial Valley College 380 E Aten Rd, Imperial, CA 92251
Visite www.losamigosdelacomunidad.com para más información.
RECORDATORIO: Taller anual de la Junta Estatal del Agua sobre el Salton Sea
El informe anual y el estado del SSMP serán el tema central de un taller público de un día de duración convocado por la Junta Estatal del Agua el 21 de mayo de 2025.
La Junta Estatal de Control de Recursos Hídricos llevará a cabo su taller anual sobre el estado de la Fase 1 del Programa de Manejo de Salton Sea el 21 de mayo de 2025, de 9:00 a.m. a ~6:00 p.m. El taller de un día se llevará a cabo en el Coachella Valley Unified School District Board Room 87-225 Church Street, Thermal, CA 92274, y una opción de participación virtual a través de Zoom. Los comentarios del público son bienvenidos y alentados.
Se proporcionará interpretación en español, así como materiales traducidos al español. Información adicional sobre la reunión se subirá a medida que esté disponible en la página de la Junta del Agua Salton Sea en waterboards.ca.gov/saltonsea/.
The California Natural Resources Agency has submitted its 2025 Annual Report on the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP) to the State Water Resources Control Board, prepared in compliance with Order WR 2017-0134. The report provides specific updates on the SSMP’s activities in 2024 and planning for future projects, ongoing partnerships to help the SSMP meet its goals, community engagement, and next steps. English and Spanish versions of the report can be found at home page of the SSMP website, www.saltonsea.ca.gov under the Featured Documents heading.
The State’s Salton Sea restoration and management efforts continued to show significant, demonstrable progress in 2024 — achieving key milestones and accelerating the pace of critical project delivery functions. Completing major construction at the first 4,100 acres of the largest restoration project at the Sea and with new federal funding, the SSMP broke ground to expand it by an additional 750 acres. Further expansion is being initiated to suppress dust and restore habitat on up to 9,000 acres at the south end of the Sea.
In other areas along the Sea, over 1,300 acres – spanning roughly five miles of shoreline – now host native vegetation recently planted to suppress dust over the coming decades.
2024 was the largest single year for Salton Sea restoration and management funding in program history. In the fall of 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation committed $175 million to accelerate construction of restoration projects at the Sea, in addition to $70 million previously committed, for a total of $245 million in federal funding. California voters also passed the Climate Bond (Proposition 4) in November 2024, which included $160 million for Salton Sea restoration and management projects, as well as additional funding up to $10 million to create the new Salton Sea Conservancy, which will focus on the long-term operation and maintenance of the State’s restoration projects.
Over the past year, the SSMP Team has worked to ensure that this historic level of funding can be implemented efficiently by completing critical planning milestones, securing essential permit approvals, and filling key leadership positions. This includes the SSMP’s efforts to secure a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a corresponding National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document that collectively provide expedited pathways for SSMP restoration projects to meet federal environmental permitting requirements. Additionally, the SSMP Team finalized a programmatic land access agreement with Reclamation to expedite access to land owned by Reclamation for expedited implementation of SSMP projects in 2024.
Continued partnerships play a crucial role in project delivery and to affirm our program’s commitment to partnership and the community, we released a long-planned report on community needs. This report incorporates input received directly from Salton Sea community members—with the goal of providing information the SSMP and other organizations in the region can use to implement multi-benefit projects that advance both restoration projects and broader objectives essential to community wellbeing.
While we share substantial progress in this annual report, we recognize that significant work remains ahead, and we must continue to accelerate and broaden our work at the Sea.
The annual report and the status of the SSMP will be the focus of an all-day public workshop convened by the State Water Board on May 21, 2025. Details for this workshop are available on the State Water Board’s Salton Sea program webpage. In addition, the SSMP team plans to hold an in-person community event at the community of West Shores in April 30 during the evening, and an online webinar on May 1 at 12:00 p.m. The SSMP team will provide an overview of the report, share project updates, and answer questions on the work completed by the SSMP during 2024. More details on these community workshops are forthcoming and will be announced via the SSMP e-Newsletter and on the SSMP website.
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