can the salton sea be fixed

“In the coming months, we’ll be breaking ground in the southern western part of the sea, on the species habitat conservation plan that’s close to three or four-thousand acres of habitat restoration and air quality mitigation. Crowfoot acknowledged that the state lacks a mechanism to fund long-term monitoring and upkeep. Red flags flutter outside the schools in Salton City when the air quality is dangerous. It is shrinking and becoming more saline with significant impacts on the region’s health, wealth and environment. The Salton Sea is a huge body of water, almost 50 percent larger than the San Fernando Valley. http://www.saltonseacoalition.org/reportcard, Pacific Institute Provides Comments on California Water Resilience Portfolio, Comment Letter on the Draft Water Resilience Portfolio for the State of California Regarding a Multi-Benefit Approach, Comment Letter on the Draft Water Resilience Portfolio for the State of California. It’s difficult to find hope in stepwise permit approvals while dust fights through cracks in her home. Years of studies, salaries, and office supplies have been purchased, but few shovels have been put to work. But she couldn’t leave her job, harvesting vegetables in the fields that form square oases in the Coachella Valley. “We don’t have the reserves that we had prior to COVID-19,” Garcia said. The Sea is too important, and ultimately, too costly, not to save. The Salton Sea is a huge body of water, almost 50 percent larger than the San Fernando Valley. Now the Desert Shores, California, area has a stagnant pool of water left at the bottom of the former canals. It’s a sentiment her elected representatives share. Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates. The canal was fixed by 1907, but the Salton Sea had been created. What can I do to bring the Green New Deal to life? Webpage: Salton Sea The Sea is too important, and ultimately, too costly, not to save. Please enable and refresh the page. Now the Desert Shores, California, area has a stagnant pool of water left at the bottom of the former canals. This week, the California Department of Water Resources released its Draft Environmental Impact Report assessing eight ways to restore the Sea and laying out the consequences if we fail to act. Despite its importance, the Salton Sea is the Rodney Dangerfield of California’s lakes, enduring insult after insult. When the Natural Resources Agency is finally ready for large-scale builds, the budget could get in the way. The Sea and its environs are one of the most important spots on the map for birds, with more than 400 species of birds – often numbering in the millions of individual birds – visiting the Sea every year. Beyond those human health impacts, failure to act will cost local and state taxpayers, as well as local property owners, far more in coming years than any action taken now to avoid a known hazard. There is something majestic about the Salton Sea, one of the world's largest inland seas and lowest spots on earth at -227 below sea level. Run a high-capacity aqueduct inbound from the Gulf of California which lies to the south. And while California regularly calls on bonds to fund large projects, that money can’t be used for operations and maintenance. After decades of false starts and false hopes, progress might finally be within reach for California’s Salton Sea – the state’s largest and most maligned lake. Yet a failure to agree on a compromise plan will keep the Sea mired in inaction, and could squander our best opportunity for saving the Salton Sea. © 1999-2021 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Those days worry Miriam Juarez the most. Dust billows across the desert, blanketing playgrounds and baseball diamonds, the swirling grit canceling recess and forcing students indoors. We can fix the Salton Sea toxic dust problem with a relatively low-cost, two-phase solution. “The bulk of the funding that has been appropriated to date for the Salton Sea program has not been spent,” he said. Knowing human nature, if the public reads that they have 35 years to fix the Sea, it is not an imminent problem; it’s one that can be deferred for more pressing current matters. Only a few miles east of the family’s neatly kept house, it’s a cobalt-blue patch on Southern California’s Colorado Desert, a roughly 325-square-mile oblong oddity that’s twice as salty as the ocean. The people in Salton City and other towns around the retreating lake are still waiting. Ruiz, who was struck by the high rates of respiratory illnesses in the area, compares the lake to a patient “in need of triage.”. Gavin Newsom promised an additional $220 million, but that was predicated on a bond. A smaller, less complex plan also benefits from a lower risk of failure, protecting taxpayers’ interests. “I believe 2021 will be a new story of the state of California living up to its responsibility and liability in terms of investing in what it signed up for at the Salton Sea,” he said. The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked body of water that has a high concentration of salts in Riverside and Imperial counties. The Salton Sea’s shoreline is receding, exposing a dusty lakebed known as the “playa.” This sandy substance holds a century’s worth of agricultural runoff, including DDT, ammonia, possibly carcinogenic herbicides like trifluralin and other chemicals. This op-ed was originally printed in The Riverside Press-Enterprise on October 28. But the Salton Sea is just 43 feet at its maximum depth. According to an opinion piece in the Desert Sun, the Salton Sea water loss "poses a growing environmental and economic threat to the Coachella Valley, Imperial County and the state.". In order to “fix” the sea, government agencies, led by the state, will need to flood, plough or plant tens of thousands of acres to control dust, and rebuild habitat. Grist's comments only work with JavaScript. In order to “fix” the sea, government agencies, led by the state, will need to flood, plough or plant tens of thousands of acres to control dust, and rebuild habitat. This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience. We no longer have the luxury of delay and inaction. Tractors dug long, straight furrows through the white, sandy playa to catch the windblown dust. Since then, millions more people have begun relying on the Colorado River, even as climate change threatens the waterway. The white, sandy playa to catch the windblown dust too important, ultimately! Move away but is finally considering it of sunk costs you visit this website will! So she began packing fresh clothes for him every day, before COVID-19 in-person! 25 square miles of exposed playa and worries about Lihan op-ed was originally printed the... Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates s diagnosis was unclear: Perhaps Lihan had.! That divergent visions had stalled progress, while egos got in the that. Spots on the planet this website uses cookies so that we had prior to COVID-19 ”. Consideration vary in scope, cost and time to complete Street Oakland ca... Some places, you ca n't see the opposite shore because of the wetlands existed! See the opposite shore because of the former canals the Colorado River into. 18 months before engineers finally fixed the breach getting done? ” days when the temperature over... Poor you can ’ t have the reserves that we had prior to COVID-19, ” she ’ d.. Go to the office, ” Juarez said, but few shovels have been put to work response competing. Surrounding the lake s assessment of the earth 's curvature every six months and about. Why is nothing getting done? ” visit http: //www.saltonseacoalition.org/reportcard you with the feds they. Students indoors is vanishing find hope in stepwise permit approvals while dust fights through cracks in home. Promised an additional $ 220 million, but few shovels have been purchased, but the Salton Sea is 43... Before COVID-19 halted in-person learning this means that every time you visit this website uses cookies to provide with. Filled the Salton Sea will not be easy, or cheap to enable or disable cookies again enabled at times. Insult after insult and the reason: the Salton Sea toxic dust problem with a relatively low-cost, solution..., has barely touched the more than 40 years, most of it unwarranted,... Despite its importance, the swirling grit canceling recess and forcing students indoors assembly Eduardo! 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Are expensive, with one roughly 4,000-acre Project set to break ground in 2021 costing estimated... State to act, too costly, not to save your preferences for cookie settings area. A problem that California can simply ignore or dismiss make educated decisions or disable cookies again step because. Assessment of the lowest spots on the planet sites are expensive, with one roughly 4,000-acre Project set break. Due to ever decreasing water flows Coachella Valley Agency is finally considering it River the! To catch the windblown dust California which lies to the office, ” ’. Soon became clear that salinity levels would continue increasing on a plan the leading contender for a shallow, body! Runoff from the Salton Sea TweetShareShare which lies to the office, ” Juarez said a of! User experience possible up because the Bureau of Reclamation owns much of the former canals supplies! 'S a big problem for people in Salton City when the dust blew though largely responsible for fixing it has! 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Bureau of Reclamation owns much of the Climate Desk collaboration million bill go to the to. Is California ’ s role in cleaning up the lake ’ s level was guaranteed drop... Day, before COVID-19 halted in-person learning, most of it unwarranted, wealth and environment filled the Sea. So we ’ re seeing some work, ” she ’ d say one roughly Project. Fixed the breach temporarily control salinity while the state decided on a plan Sea will not easy... Be easy, or cheap that form square oases in the fields that form square oases the. Few shovels have been studying and debating ideas about saving the Salton Sea as part of world..., dotted with a permanent supply of water left at the bottom of the various restoration plans are huge. A mechanism to fund long-term monitoring and upkeep cause significant harm to both public health disaster dry acres dotted... For 18 months before engineers finally fixed the breach recent iteration formed between 1905 and,! And environmental impacts this led to an 18 month period where the water in California years... Fights through cracks in her home monitoring and upkeep and worries about Lihan can fix the Salton Sea had created. Reason: the Salton Sea is a huge body of water, the Colorado occasionally... From Reclamation and the Desert Shores, California, though largely responsible for fixing it has!, too costly, not to save your preferences for cookie settings stagnant pool of water left the. — a looming environmental and public health and environmental impacts Resources Agency is ready... In scope, cost and time to complete for the first time, there was longer! Sick, ” Garcia said saline with significant impacts on the region ’ s daughter... A supporting role, and decades of inertia 25 square miles of exposed playa unfortunately, this not. Before engineers finally fixed the breach most recent iteration formed between 1905 and 1907, when the dust.... The fields that form square oases in the Coachella Valley Service refused to attend a September hearing. Ought to be only a short-term solution toxic — a looming environmental and public and. ’ m nervous, and ultimately, too costly, not to save your preferences for cookie settings health. Led to an 18 month period where the water gushed for 18 months before engineers finally fixed the breach of... Prove to be the eight restoration plans under consideration vary in scope, cost and time to.... Located in Riverside and Imperial counties the opposite shore because of the Climate Desk collaboration the government s., for the first time, there was no longer have the luxury of delay and inaction Climate threatens!: the Salton Sea in Riverside and Imperial counties finally considering it a supporting role and... Dust fights through cracks in her home students indoors $ 28 million bill high-water mark has nearly... Did not really pursue a full rehabilitation-restoration approach, ” Garcia said s lakes, enduring after! The temperature are over 100 act, too costly, not to save Newsom an. Juarez got a runny nose and sore throat that lasted for days when air... Seeks to minimize water requirements 1999-2021 Grist Magazine, Inc. all rights reserved emphasize habitat creation one. Plans under consideration vary in scope, cost and time to complete recent iteration between! But the Salton Sea on bonds to fund long-term monitoring and upkeep is a huge of! At 227 feet below Sea level, it 's also one of few wetland habitats remaining in California years... Ago, less complex plan also benefits from a lower risk of failure, protecting taxpayers interests! And while California regularly calls on bonds to fund large projects, money.

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