Since the 2003 water transfer deal, the lake has lost a total of 23,800 acres of surface area and has dropped 9.5 feet, … Cities and farming districts will need to band together to limit consumption — and that includes the Colorado’s biggest water user, the Imperial Irrigation District. “It is time for wealthy metropolitan areas across the Colorado River Basin to adapt to the 21st century and pay for the full cost of their sprawling, unsustainable growth through [desalination], reuse, recycling, conservation and smarter planning,” Hamby wrote in a Facebook before the election. As the Salton Sea shrinks, it leaves behind a toxic reminder of the cost of making a desert bloom By Lindsay Fendt, January 13, 2020 Photography by Lindsay Fendt It’s just past noon on a Wednesday, but the bar at the Ski Inn in Bombay Beach, California, is … This week, the US House of Representatives advanced two pieces of legislation to mobil... State Budget includes $47 million for the Salton Sea. People eager to get the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of schedule have flocked to some L.A. clinics, spending hours in an unofficial standby line for doses left over at the end of the day. The water fuels a $2-billion agriculture industry that produces much of America’s winter vegetables. Historic MOU signing ceremony at Salton Sea. Published: Friday, September 25, 2020 Feds will include Salton Sea in Drought Plan, IID says, 03/01/2019 | There may be hope for finalizing a sweeping Colorado River drought contingency plan…, We can plan for a ‘leaner’ Colorado River as we save the Salton Sea. Give yourself time to stop by the Salton Sea Visitor Center and watch the movie about the history of this huge lake. PUBLISHED: September 30, 2020 at 9:22 p.m. ... hit south of the Salton Sea in Imperial County on Wednesday afternoon, sending light shaking into Riverside County. The campaign was also marked by speculation over which candidates might secretly be backed by which local power brokers — a common pastime in Imperial, whose insular politics are defined by family ties, small-town allegiances and deeply held mistrust. August 9, 2020 July 30, ... this area in the community of Desert Shores on the western edge of the ailing Salton Sea is the site of one of the newest restoration projects planned around the manmade body of water that has been the cause of much concern over the last several decades. Salton Sea gets Boost to Tap Vast Lithium Supplies, NR – Governor signs bill to boost lithium development at Salton Sea, First Congressional Hearing for Sea Since 1997: SSA Directors Unite in Call for Stronger Federal Partnership, 09/25/20 | Testimonies Submitted to September 24, 2020 Salton Sea Hearing, Salton Sea’s death spiral sparks pleas for Congress to help. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. A view along the north shore of the Salton Sea on Sept. 15, 2015. Copyright 2017 © The Salton Sea Authority, Restoring Sea Access via North Shore Beach and Yacht Club, SB 272 Section 6270.5 Enterprise System Catalog. Complimentary food and beverages as well as Spanish translation will be provided. Imperial’s massive pull on the Colorado stems from a history unlike that of anywhere else in the West. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. An intense earthquake swarm started near Salton Sea, California on September 30, 2020, with 421 earthquakes detected by 07:00 UTC on October 1. Imperial Irrigation District director Bruce Kuhn. And he acknowledged Imperial has a role to play in staving off shortages. A quick day trip from Palm Springs. Reddish Egret Photo: Andy Long/Audubon Photography Awards Signs criticizing Imperial Irrigation District director Bruce Kuhn were placed next to “Vote Kuhn” signs in California’s Imperial Valley. Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. In last-minute slap, court strikes down major Trump rollback on clean air. She became the national youth poet laureate at age 16; six years later, she read her poem at Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’ historic swearing-in. Published July 13, 2020 10:27 am Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin The state budget includes $47 million for the Salton Sea, here’s how it will be spent Another year has passed and promised solutions have vanished like the receding waters of the Sea itself. “We have to strike a balance that addresses our interests in terms of keeping our water here in the valley, but also shows that we’re willing to be a player in addressing issues on the river,” Childers said. The unidentified woman was … Features Archives Authors Covers Latest stories Special Issues Comics Happenings Art Concerts Contests Event listings Movie showtimes Theater Travel Column: Here’s how I broke through and got a COVID vaccine. “There has to be some proportionality.”. But Hamby — a 24-year-old farmer’s son and Stanford University graduate — went further, questioning whether the existing transfers to San Diego County should continue if state officials don’t take stronger action at the Salton Sea. The military set up a 1-mile perimeter surrounding the wreckage. Map showing the Salton Sea, CA earthquake swarm of August 2020 (as of August 13, 2020 12pm Pacific). But renewed attacks over the water transfer, and its effects on the Salton Sea, helped sink Kuhn’s bid for a fifth term in 2020. And they’ll snap the IID,” he said. Today about 500 families own most of the Imperial Valley’s irrigated farmland. “In the Imperial Valley, everybody pretty much knows everybody,” Hamby said in an interview. seeking greater control of water supplies for farmers, developed a close relationship with Abatti, Tracking coronavirus vaccinations in California. The swarm is centered just southeast of Salton Sea, near Westmorland in Imperial Valley, …  California’s Salton Sea is a fertile oasis in the hostile desert of southeastern California, adopted by millions of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway. In the summer of 2020, Salton Sea Audubon staff measured shoreline retreat during monthly microinvertebrate surveys. Two Biden priorities, climate and conservation, collide in the California desert. ... Matt V wrote a review Dec 2020. Back to table of contents. One of the besieged incumbents, Jim Hanks, held on to his seat by just 41 votes. For more information on the Legislation, contact SSA Executive Director/General Manager G. Patrick O'Dowd. The people of California’s Imperial Valley can be as unforgiving as the region’s harsh desert climate. Lush green farm fields in the Brawley area, in California’s Imperial Valley. "These unmanaged flows, scientists say, are flushing salinity out of the soil and forming freshwater ponds on the lake’s margins, which are attracting cattails and grasses. Located on the San Andreas Fault at the southern end of the U.S. state of California, it lies within the Salton Trough that stretches to the Gulf of California in Mexico. California scientists have discovered a new coronavirus strain that appears to be propagating faster than any other variant in the Golden State. 10/1/2020 Coronavirus outbreaks in San Diego County nursing homes hit record for fourth week in a row Facing backlash, Republicans confront Trump’s effect … He eventually came back into favor with the agriculture community and was elected to the same seat in 2012. The $220 million from the proposed "climate resilience bond" would go to fund the Salton Sea Management Program, a 10-year plan that state and local officials agreed to almost three years ago. How a 22-year-old L.A. native became Biden’s inauguration poet. Federal legislators advance Salton Sea Authority Agenda. The … Hamby also said he has faced criticism from farmers unhappy with his insistence that neither landowners nor the irrigation district truly own the valley’s water supply. In 2018, the valley consumed about as much water from the river as the state of Arizona, and more than any other state. The Salton Sea Authority is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) empowered to revitalize the Salton Sea in consultation and cooperation with state and federal governments. Kuhn said his decision to approve the water transfer was more complicated than critics make it out to be. Hamby was the top vote-getter and will square off against attorney Ryan Childers. He once described her as “a bit of a mentor to me.” Hamby also received a $10,000 college scholarship from — and briefly interned for — ZGlobal Inc., an engineering firm that developed a close relationship with Abatti through several energy and water projects. Now it's a 'public health disaster' with toxic dust from lakebed spewing into the air. He previously reported for the Desert Sun in Palm Springs. — KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) September 30, 2020. The F-35 jet crashed deep in the desert area west of the Salton Sea. 03/04/19 |  Municipal Water Leader interview with Phil Rosentrater, GM/Executive Director of Salton Sea Authority. If the state doesn’t do anything about it the Imperial Valley will become uninhabitable,” said Dorantes. August 9, 2020 July 30, ... this area in the community of Desert Shores on the western edge of the ailing Salton Sea is the site of one of the newest restoration projects planned around the manmade body of water that has been the cause of much concern over the last several decades. No, KUHN sold it.”. 07/28/20 | California’s state budget includes $47 million to help the Salton Sea. Circles are earthquake locations, red indicates an earthquake in the past hour, orange the past 24 hours, and yellow the past 7 days. Could a homegrown coronavirus strain be partly to blame for California’s surge? The report provides a summary of recent and planned activities by the SSMP to address air quality and ecological threats at the Sea. The risk of a larger earthquake over the next 7 days is considerably elevated due to the swarm when compared to background levels. “What we need to do is not be insular and cut off from the rest of the world and only come out to blow things up,” Hamby said. No problem. A study published this month, from researchers at the University of New Mexico, estimates that fine particle emissions from Salton Sea lake bed that dried up between 1998 and 2014 probably caused about 100 additional respiratory deaths during those years. “Did I want to do it? Published July 13, 2020 10:27 am Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin The state budget includes $47 million for the Salton Sea, here’s how it will be spent A 28-year-old woman was arrested by Border Patrol about 7:45 a.m. Sunday at the Highway 86 checkpoint after more than 148 pounds of methamphetamine was reportedly discovered in the vehicle she was driving. But for some locals, his decision from 16 years ago probably looks worse now than ever, because California still hasn’t followed through on its pledge to fix the Salton Sea. It also summarizes planning activities, partnerships and community engagement efforts. The report provides a summary of recent and planned activities by the SSMP to address air quality and ecological threats at the sea. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news … Salton Sea funds to launch long-awaited recovery. The California Natural Resources Agency has posted its 2020 Annual Report on the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP). SALTON SEA: HUNDREDS OF STUDIES, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS January 6, 2021; Trump signs spending bill that could send millions of dollars to the Salton Sea December 30, 2020; Community Spectrum has scheduled a video shoot at the Salton Sea October 14, 2020; News coverage KCETSoCalConnected October 7, 2020; A new perspective October 7, 2020… CALIFORNIA Salton Sea's death spiral sparks pleas for Congress to help. 10/1/2020 Coronavirus outbreaks in San Diego County nursing homes hit record for fourth week in a row Facing backlash, Republicans confront Trump’s effect on their party The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked body of water that has a high concentration of salts in Riverside and Imperial counties. The study is a pre-requisite to obtaining significant Corps' construction funding for the Preimeter Lake, an integral part of the State of California's Salton Sea Management Program 10 year plan. While many problems face the Salton Sea and the beleaguered communities that surround it, the Salton Sea is a worthwhile experience on your next visit to Coachella Valley and opportunity to see … Childers said one of his top priorities in regional talks would be establishing Imperial’s right to store Colorado River water in Lake Mead outside Las Vegas. Welcome to the official website of the Salton Sea Authority. ... Matt V wrote a review Dec 2020. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives has passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) which includes an authorization for the Army Corps of Engineers to take the first step toward the construction of a northern perimeter lake project at the Salton Sea. The All-American Canal winds through the Algodones Dunes in Imperial County, bringing water from the Colorado River to Imperial Valley farms and cities. World leaders heaved a sigh of relief that the U.S. under President Biden is rejoining the global effort to combat climate change. San Francisco, California 246 contributions 155 helpful votes. The Salton Sea & Me website is an independent “go-to” resource for exploring the problems and proposed solutions of the Salton Sea crisis.. As the Salton Sea shrinks, and toxic air proliferates, air quality will continue to deteriorate. 2020 Salton Sea Authority Revised Board Meeting Schedule Schedule of regularly-scheduled board meetings – June 25 update (September 24, 2020, board meeting changed to September 17, 2020.) The Colorado River Aqueduct snakes through the California desert, bringing water to the Los Angeles area. The Salton Sea Community Meeting in Thermal will take place at the Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians Tameka Gym. Kuhn and Childers pledged to oppose additional water transfers. Hamby countered that he and Childers both received contributions from farmers who had previously given money to Imperial Valley First, suggesting there was no unified front from agriculture in this election. 68, which directed the state to issue $4 billion in bonds to … “The Salton Sea is a ticking health hazard. Kuhn finished third in the primary, missing the November runoff by 44 votes — a razor-thin margin even in an election that saw just 5,000 people cast ballots. Salton Sea Management Program 2020 Annual Report Now Available. “It is not Imperial Valley’s responsibility to supply their reckless demands.”. For more information on the Legislation, contact SSA Executive Director/General Manager G. Patrick O'Dowd. But for many locals, it might as well have been yesterday. 07/28/20 | California’s state budget includes $47 million to help the Salton Sea. Voters sent Kuhn packing from the Imperial Irrigation District’s board of directors last month after a primary campaign in which his leading opponent, J.B. Hamby, hammered him over the consequences of the water transfer — including the accelerated demise of the Salton Sea, a giant lake that is spewing lung-damaging dust into the air as it shrinks. Newsom on Monday, includes $47 million to implement Salton Sea projects both in the southern and northern portions of the Salton Sea. Get Boiling Point, our newsletter exploring climate change, energy and the environment, and become part of the conversation — and the solution. PUBLISHED: September 30, 2020 at 9:22 p.m. ... hit south of the Salton Sea in Imperial County on Wednesday afternoon, sending light shaking into Riverside County. Salton Sea View from the Salton Sea -- Fall, 2020. Also: Draft Dust Suppression Action Plan Available for Review; Projects to Reduce Dust on up to 3,800 Acres of Emissive Lakebed This Year; State Requests Proposals for Water Importation Independent Review Panel; Salton Sea … For those of us living near the Salton Sea, 2020 began much like 2019. Even after the water transfer, the Imperial Valley accounts for more than half of California’s overall draw from the Colorado River. Kitty Alvarado has an exclusive interview with the general manager of the Salton Sea Authority for insight on the money spent over the years and progress on the restoration project proposed. California start-up Lucid Motors seeks to take advantage of market mania for electric vehicles. As California’s largest lake, it stretches across almost 35 miles in a remote, below sea-level valley in the southeastern corner of the state. Salton City, CA News in 2020-08. He originally voted “no” on the so-called Quantification Settlement Agreement, leading to the water transfer’s defeat in a 3-2 vote. Kuhn said payments from San Diego County Water Authority, the main beneficiary of the transfer, have funded water efficiency measures at farms that have allowed Imperial to reduce consumption while keeping nearly all its irrigated acreage in production. 06/29/20 | Governor signs budget with more than $47 Million for Salton Sea projects. He switched to “yes” only after the federal government put immense pressure on Imperial by trying to revoke a big chunk of its water supply unilaterally — and even then, only after state lawmakers passed a bill promising to restore the Salton Sea. A … The Salton Sea Management Program, a non-binding plan for the sea that Gov. Annual Salton Sea workshop will be held remotely to comply with public health recommendations The sessions were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic August 17, 2020 Contact: George Kostyrko George.Kostyrko@waterboards.ca.gov SACRAMENTO – To comply with public health recommendations limiting the size of $334K of meth seized in Salton City. It’s been working since that kid was 5 years old,” Kuhn said, referring to Hamby. 09/25/20 | California officials pressed Congress yesterday to step up federal efforts to address the rapidly growing public health crisis at the Salton Sea. At the Salton Sea in California, new wetlands areas are forming where freshwater runoff is pooling. “They’re trying to get three votes on the IID board to get control of the water,” Menvielle said. Abatti’s sister-in-law Deborah Owen, the county’s assistant district attorney, was Hamby’s high school mock trial coach. Subscribe to our Salton Sea News & Stories alerts. The Salton Sea was once a hip and happening spot for locals to enjoy the sun and have fun in the water. If the winning candidate doesn’t strike the right balance, voters won’t forget. The transfer isn’t the only issue that may have hurt Kuhn with voters this time around. Bird counts and water tests monitor a shrinking Sea. Subscribe to our Salton Sea News & Stories alerts. California agencies at odds over Colorado River drought plan, 03/12/19 | “The way to arrive at a resilient and durable drought contingency plan is for the parties to work through the Salton Sea issue, not around it,” …, Averting Catastrophe, Seizing Opportunity. An 11th-hour Trump administration proposal foreshadows a tough balancing act for Biden on public lands. PALM DESERT – The California state budget, signed by Gov. Solving the Colorado River basin’s long-term problems won’t be possible without the Imperial Valley, said John Fleck, director of the University of New Mexico’s water resources program. 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