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With CVWD Okay, Imperial Irrigation District Now Holds Key To Seven State Drought Deal

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Janet Wilson

It’s all up to the Imperial Irrigation District. The fate of a seven-state plan to address dwindling Colorado River water supply now appears to rest squarely with the sprawling southeastern California water district. Its neighbor to the north, the Coachella Valley Water District, voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve interstate agreements that would conserve water for use by 40 million people and vast swaths of agricultural lands. IID has tied its approvals to a binding promise to receive $200 million in federal matching funds to restore the fast-dwindling Salton Sea, which lost critical Colorado River water imports a year ago.

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Salton Sea: Fish And The Birds That Fed On Them Wiped Out This Winter

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Janet Wilson

Tim Bradley crunched across a broad beach made of dead barnacles and fish bones. He bent down and stirred green slime, tinged with brown foam at the western edge of the vast lake unfurled before him. It was a sign for the longtime biologist that the much-maligned Salton Sea is alive. “It’s just algae and bacteria and scum and so forth, but it’s an incredible thing, because this could be a very productive site,” he said. “The water is so full of nutrients. See those bubbles there? The only question is, what’s going to take advantage of that?”

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A Suffering Habitat: Death Of Thousands Of Birds Highlights Sea’s Decline

/in , /by /Imperial Valley Pressby Vincent Osuna

The death of a couple thousand birds of an infectious disease at the Salton Sea earlier this month has helped underscore the impact of diminished quality and quantity of the habitats there. A large number of ruddy ducks, as well as gulls and other birds, migrating to the sea for the winter were killed between Jan. 8 and Jan. 17 by avian cholera, an infectious bacterial disease that spreads through direct contact.

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Thousands Of Birds Die At California’s Salton Sea

/in , /by /Ventura County Star

Authorities say thousands of migrating birds have died at California’s Salton Sea this month from avian cholera. The California Department of Fish and Game says ducks, gulls and other birds were found dead at the south end of the state’s largest lake between Jan. 8 and last Thursday. Testing showed signs of avian cholera, an infectious bacterial disease. It’s spread through direct contact or from contaminated food or water.

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Farm Bill Offers A Chance At Salton Sea Funding

/in , /by /Imperial - San Diego Currentsby Darren Simon

With the passage of the Federal Farm Bill by both the Senate and House (December 12 and 13 respectively) and hopefully a signature of support to come from the White House soon, another opportunity has arisen to help fund restoration efforts at the Salton Sea. After the failure of Prop. 3 during the November election, which amounts to a $200 million loss for the sea, a spark of positive funding news is good to hear. While there is no guarantee of funding for the sea in the Farm Bill (nor is the sea even mentioned) there is a provision for environmental projects for which the sea could qualify for funding.

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OPINION: Natural Resources Chief: California Is Fully Committed To The Salton Sea’s Future

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by John Laird

The Salton Sea has been an anomaly since its very formation. Created when the entire Colorado River flowed unchecked into the Salton Sink for two years beginning in 1905, the modern-day Salton Sea is a changed ecosystem that supports introduced fish and a major stop on the Pacific Migratory Flyway. Flows into the sea have declined over time, leaving higher concentrations of various contaminants. Coupled with evaporation, the result is a shrinking, increasingly saline lake. Previously submerged lake bed — known as playa  —  is being exposed, creating dust that can be hazardous as it dries and becomes airborne.

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Riverside County Says Its New Salton Sea Plan Could Bring Back Tourism, Generate $1 Billion In Tax Revenue

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Sammy Roth

Riverside County is moving forward with a Salton Sea restoration plan that officials say could generate more than $1 billion in tax revenue, which would help fund construction of a permanent, horseshoe-shaped lake at the north end of the dying sea. The board of supervisors voted Tuesday to create an enhanced infrastructure financing district, or EIFD, that encompasses Mecca, North Shore, Oasis, Thermal and other unincorporated communities near the Salton Sea. If voters in the newly created district approve the plan, the county would issue bonds to fund construction of a so-called North Lake.

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Kelley Wants County to be More Proactive About Salton Sea

/in , /by /Imperial Valley Pressby Richard Montenegro Brown

When information about a recent toxic algal bloom in the Salton Sea came to the attention of the Imperial County Public Health Department, it did so second-hand, through Supervisor Ryan Kelley. Kelley, whose District 4 includes the Salton Sea, had to hear about the water conditions at the sea second-hand as well, from residents in the West Shores area who got their information from the state Regional Water Quality Control Board.

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Officials Still Urging Residents To Stay Away From The Salton Sea

/in , /by /KYMA (Yuma, Ariz.)by Billy Khang

Imperial County officials are still warning residents to not go near the Salton Sea after dangerous bacteria was found there. The Imperial County Public Health Department announced last week that cyanobacteria were detected in a water test that was conducted earlier this month. Public health officials said residents are not in danger as long as they don’t drink the water. “So there’s not any evidence that anyone has been harmed. The levels that had been detected, although they alert us to pay attention, they are not levels that are expected to be harmful,” said Dr. Stephen Munday, Imperial County Public Health Officer.

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Cyanobacteria Found in Salton Sea

/in , /by /KYMA (Yuma, Ariz.)

The Imperial County Public Health Department announced Friday that cyanotoxins were found in the Salton Sea. In recent months, low levels of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, were detected blooming along the northern shore of the Salton Sea in Riverside County.  Water testing conducted by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board have confirmed the presence of three cyanotoxins: Anatoxin-a, Saxitoxin and Microcystin at the Desert Shores Harbor of the Salton Sea.

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