SSMP eNewsletter — March


The Salton Sea Program’s 2026 Annual Report is Now Online!

Cover page of the 2026 SSP annual report. A rosette spoonbill stands in the middle of a shallow water pond with wood sticks on the back

The California Natural Resources Agency has released the 2026 Annual Report for the Salton Sea Program,  offering a clear look at how much progress was made in 2025—and what’s coming next. Both English and Spanish versions are now available at saltonsea.ca.gov under “Featured Documents.”

Here are just a few highlights from the annual report:

  • The State’s Salton Sea Program achieved a key breakthrough in 2025: filling its first major network of “mega ponds” with water, which has brought fish and thousands of birds back to the Salton Sea – all while suppressing dust for the benefit of Salton Sea communities. This project, called the Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) project, is still in construction and will cover some 9,500 acres at full buildout – which is the same size as 7,200 football fields. Its existing mega ponds cover about three square miles – roughly four times the size of Disneyland. The success of the SCH is proof-positive that efforts to bring cleaner water, plants and wildlife back to the Salton Sea on a massive scale are possible, and that we must do more.
  • In a signal of broad support for more massive-scale projects at the Salton Sea, the Legislature and Governor approved more funding to support three additional major water-based restoration projects in the north, southwest and east Salton Sea. The Salton Sea Program is currently focused on delivering these projects for Salton Sea communities. Additionally, in January 2026, Governor Newsom proposed $30 million in complementary funding to advance public recreation as a component of these projects.
  • The State advanced key proposals for the creation of the new Salton Sea Conservancy, which will help ensure long-term operations and maintenance for completed Salton Sea projects while allowing the Salton Sea Program to keep implementing new habitat and dust suppression projects.
  • Long-term planning for the Salton Sea – beyond the State’s current portfolio of projects — advanced as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed key technical modeling and evaluated project concepts as part of  the Imperial Streams and Salton Sea Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study.
  • Significant advancements were also made on vegetation enhancement projects to grow plants that suppress dust and create habitat on exposed lakebed.

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.  

Click here to read the 2026 Annual Report. Public meetings will be held in May to share more about the milestones achieved in 2025 and how the SSP will continue to advance priorities at the Salton Sea for the coming years.