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SB 187: Salton Sea Restoration Fund: Restoration project - SB 187 was approved by the Governor on September 27, 2008 and chaptered by the Secretary of State (Chapter 374, Statutes of 2008). SB 187 limits expenditures of funds from Proposition 84, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to those activities to be completed in the first five years (Period I) identified in the Resources Agency’s report entitled “Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program Preferred Alternative Report and Funding Plan.” Activities identified for completion in Period I include a demonstration project, early start habitat, and additional biological, inflow, and sediment, water, and air quality investigations. The Resources Agency will continue to be the lead agency and work cooperatively with the Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Game, State Air Resources Board, and State Water Resources Control Board.
The Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for restoration of the Salton Sea identified the need for additional environmental data. The Departments of Water Resources and Fish and Game, in coordination with the U. S. Geological Survey, are developing long-term monitoring plans for air quality, biological resources, and hydrologic resources (including streamflow, groundwater level, and water quality). Focused Technical Groups have been formed to provide input into monitoring plan development. Completion of the monitoring plans is expected by the end of 2008.
SB 1256: Salton Sea Restoration Council - This Senate Bill would create the Salton Sea Restoration Council within the Resources Agency (comprised of an Executive Committee, Science Committee, Local Government forum and a stakeholder forum), as the governing structure responsible for project implementation of the Preferred Restoration Plan. The hearing was on May 12, 2008 and was not approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
On January 24, 2008, the Legislative Analyst's Office released the report Restoring the Salton Sea. The report discusses the history and current state of the Sea and legal and policy reasons for restoring the Sea. The report also makes recommendations on how the Legislature should proceed with the restoration.
The Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program's Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR) and Certification are now available. The FPEIR includes a description of the Preferred Alternative, all of the comments received during the 90-day review period, and responses to those comments.
On October 19, 2006, the Resources Agency released the Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). The 90-day public review period ended on January 16, 2007.
- Notice of Availability (PDF: 212K) of Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report
- Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report Index
- Draft Salton Sea Restoration Report Released (PDF: 16K), Press Release, October 19, 2006
En Español: Informe Borrador de la Restauración del Mar Salton hecho Público (PDF: 14K)
- Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program: Fact Sheet (PDF: 170K)
En Español: Datos de la Programa de Restauración de Ecosistema del Mar de Salton (PDF: 149K)
- Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF: 160K)
En Español: Programa de Restauración de Ecosistema del Mar Salton: Preguntas Hechas con Frecuencia (PDF: 161K)
In May 2007, the Secretary for Resources provided to the Legislature, in accordance with Fish and Game Code 2081.7, the Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program Preferred Alternative Report and Funding Plan, and Ecosystem Restoration Study. The Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program Preferred Alternative Report (PDF: 6MB) is now available. The Ecosystem Restoration Study is Appendix H of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report.
On behalf of the California Resources Agency, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) prepared a restoration plan for the Salton Sea ecosystem, and an accompanying Environmental Impact Report (EIR). As part of this effort, which is based on State legislation enacted in 2003 and 2004 (SB 277, SB 317, SB 654 and SB 1214), DWR and DFG developed a preferred alternative for the restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem and the protection of wildlife dependent on that ecosystem. The Preferred Alternative Report and Funding Plan was completed and submitted to the Legislature in May of 2007. The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Report was subsequently completed in June of 2007.
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Salton Sea Background
The Salton Sea is located in a closed desert basin in Riverside and Imperial Counties in southern California, south of Indio and north of El Centro. The basin is more than 200 feet below sea level and has no natural outlet. Although lakes have existed in this basin in the past, the current body of water formed in 1905 when a levee break along the Colorado River caused its flows to enter the basin for about 18 months. Since 1905, the Sea has fluctuated in size with varying inflow, and it today has a surface area of about 365 square miles.
A balance between inflowing water and evaporation sustains the Sea. With no outlet, any salts that are dissolved in the inflow are trapped. Salt concentrations in the Sea are currently about 48,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L), or about 30 percent higher than ocean water. Salinity will continue to rise under current conditions, however, under the recently approved Quantification Settlement Agreement inflow to the Sea will be will be significantly reduced. The reduction in inflow will cause the Sea to shrink and cause salinity to rise faster than it would have without a reduction in inflow.
A gradual increase in salinity and its consequences was recognized soon after the Sea was formed. Various salinity control measures were studied as early as the mid-1950s. Since then, many alternatives have been proposed and analyzed. The current effort by the California Resources Agency is the latest attempt to develop a permanent solution to continued degradation of the environmental values of the Sea.
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