SSMP eNewsletter — December – Salton Sea Management Program

SSMP eNewsletter — December

Thank you for a Great Year at the Sea!

We at the Salton Sea Management Program would like to express a heartfelt thank you for another year of collaboration and partnership as we work together to improve conditions at the Salton Sea. We wish you the best during this holiday season and look forward to working with you in the new year!

2025 was a year of significant progress at the Salton Sea, as the SSMP achieved long-awaited milestones on its existing habitat restoration and dust suppression projects, and secured funding to advance additional large-scale projects.

We began filling two ponds in the Species Conservation Habitat project, a major aquatic restoration project at the Sea and a moment many years in the making. The two ponds that were filled this year at the SCH project total 2,000 acres — about four times the size of Disneyland California. The ponds are showing promising ecological benefits, particularly for local and migratory bird populations. Multiple bird species are now actively utilizing these restored wetland environments, signaling a positive shift in the region’s biodiversity.

Additionally, the California State Legislature passed, and Governor Newsom signed, Senate Bill 105 — which provides funding for the Salton Sea Conservancy. This is a big deal — the Salton Sea Conservancy is the first new State conservancy in over 15 years and will play a critical role in shaping the future of the Salton Sea. The Conservancy’s responsibility of operating and maintaining completed projects built by the State’s Salton Sea Management Program will allow the SSMP to continue its focus on building more large-scale habitat restoration and dust suppression projects at the Salton Sea. In addition to funding for the Salton Sea Conservancy, the budget passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Newsom include over $147 million for new habitat restoration and dust suppression projects at the Salton Sea, which will be built by the SSMP in the coming years.

We also increased our presence in the community by participating in more than 30 opportunities across the region – where we provided project presentations and program updates, coordinated trips to SSMP restoration projects under construction, and participated in partner-led meetings. We are thankful for the ongoing interest in visiting the SSMP projects and for opening your doors for us to share updates and important program information.

Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunities to build on this year’s progress. With your continued partnership, we are confident that we can achieve even greater successes to advance shared objectives that benefit the future of the Salton Sea.

Thank you once again for your dedication and partnership. Wishing you a joyful holiday season filled with peace and happiness, and a new year of continued success, growth, and positive change.

Onward,

Salton Sea Management Program Team

Group picture of the SSMP team wearing safety vests and white hard hats

SSMP In the Community: End of Year Recap Meetings

Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy, Joe Shea holding a microphone in front of a group — *Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy, Joe Shea asking a group of residents about their first time participating in a SSMP community event.*

On December 17 and 18, the SSMP team, together with our partners from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Audubon California, hosted two open-house meetings in the communities of Brawley and Coachella. During the meetings, we shared information about the multiple ongoing restoration projects at the Salton Sea and the Imperial Streams and Salton Sea Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study. This study is led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the SSMP and Salton Sea Authority, and has the potential to bring in long term funding for restoration projects at the Salton Sea.

A group of residents siting down in benches looking at a presentation — *Residents participating at the Open-House meeting held at Brawley High School Cafeteria.*

We thank the Brawley High School and the Coachella Library for allowing us to host these meetings and extend our appreciation to all community members who joined us for the meetings and connected with the SSMP team to learn more about the important work happening at the Sea.

A resident looking at printed informational posters about the Imperial Streams and Salton Sea Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study — *The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team providing information on the Salton Sea and the Imperial Streams and Salton Sea Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study*

The events were designed to provide a broad overview of current and upcoming projects and initiatives, while creating space for one-on-one conversations between community members and staff. Each project featured its own station, featuring the Vegetation Enhancement Projects, the Bombay Beach Wetlands Enhancement Project, the Species Conservation Habitat Project, the North Lake Wetlands and Pilot Demonstration Projects, the Kane Spring Project, and a dedicated station for the Imperial Streams and Salton Sea Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study.

*Megan Giglini from the Department of Water Resources at the Bombay Beach Wetlands Enhancement Project Station*

Participants were able to visit the different stations, explore maps and informational displays, and speak directly with team members to ask questions or share feedback. The open and flexible format allowed attendees to move at their own pace and engage in conversations about the issues most important to them.

Join us for an action-packed event at the Salton Sea: Salton Sea Bird Festival, January 17

Event flyer and qr code to register for the SCH Tour

The Salton Sea Bird Festival will be celebrated on January 17, 2026. Multiple activities around the Sea are planned for the day and we invite you to join us to enjoy a Saturday morning at the Salton Sea.

Our partners at the Sea and Desert Interpretive Association, Audubon California, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California State Parks, and we at the Salton Sea Management Program have prepared a list of activities, visits, and field trips to multiple locations around the Sea.

The SSMP Team will be hosting a public tour of the Species Conservation Habitat project, located at the southern end of the Sea. We will be driving around the 9,500-acre aquatic restoration project to look at the recent accomplishments achieved on the project, share more about the different project components and features, as well as looking at the recently filled 2,000 acres ponds. Experience the multiple bird species and wildlife that are already interacting with this active restoration project. Space is limited, and we encourage your early registration. Click here to register.

Our new Climate Bond website is live!

People holding hands around a tree — *Calaveras Big Trees State Park © 2010, California State Parks. Photo by Brian Baer*

We at the California Natural Resources Agency are working to make applying for grants more accessible and easier to understand than ever before. The Climate Bond invests $10 billion in local projects that strengthen communities — protecting drinking water, reducing wildfire and flood risks, restoring natural places, supporting healthy working lands, and expanding access to parks and outdoor spaces. On the new site you can search funding pots and grant opportunities, get key contacts, get answers to basic questions, review key documents that will be guiding our departments, learn how we are improving the grant process, learn what is means for projects to provide direct and meaningful benefits and much more.

Partner Spotlight: CAL FIRE and the Salton Sea Shores Climate Equity Project Team Up to Bring Trees to the Sea

Multiple trees at a distance in the community of Bombay Beach — *Photo courtesy of CAL FIRE social @calfire*

Thanks to funding from CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program and a proposal from the Salton Sea Shores Climate Equity Project team, more than 220 new trees have been planted across communities surrounding the Salton Sea, providing shade and improving outdoor spaces for residents in Bombay Beach, Niland and Salton Sea Beach. We applaud CAL FIRE and the Salton Sea Shores Climate Equity Project team for their leadership on this important initiative.