The Salton Sea Authority is a

joint powers authority A joint powers authority (JPA) is an entity permitted under the laws of some U.S. states, whereby two or more public authorities (e.g. local governments, or utility or transport districts), not necessarily located in the same state, may jointly ex ...

whose goal is the revitalization of the

Salton Sea The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline body of water in Riverside and Imperial counties at the southern end of the U.S. state of California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the Salton Trough that stretches to the Gulf ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It was created on June 2, 1993 by the U.S. state of California "for the purpose of ensuring the beneficial uses of the Salton Sea."Salton Sea Authority
/ref> It has representatives from the Coachella Valley Water District, the Imperial Irrigation District,

Riverside County Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Uni ...

, Imperial County and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. The purpose of the Salton Sea Authority is to work with California state agencies, federal agencies, and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to develop programs that would continue beneficial use of the Salton Sea. The Authority defines "beneficial use" to include the primary purpose of the Sea as a depository for agricultural drainage, storm water and wastewater flows; as well as for protection of endangered species, fisheries and

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...

; and for recreational purposes. In 2006, the Authority issued
multi-purpose plan
for the restoration of the Sea.

Projects

Habitat Creation and Enhancement:

Geotube A geotextile tube (also known as a titan tube or geotube) is a large, tube-shaped bag made of porous, weather-resistant geotextile and filled with a sand slurry, to form an artificial coastal structure such as a breakwaters, dune or levee. ...

technology and solar PV power on Salton Sea Playa, Torres Martinez Wetlands The ponds and wetlands surrounding the main body of the Salton Sea have deteriorated or evaporated over time, contributing to the decline of wildlife and native species. This project, proposed in the 2012/2013 fiscal year, will attempt to restore some of these evaporated ponds and wetlands, located in the northern areas of the Sea, using GeoTube technology to implement new

berm A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier (usually made of compacted soil) separating areas in a vertical way, especially partway up a long slope. It can serve as a terrace road, track, path, a fortification line, a border/ separation ...

s along the edges of these ponds and wetlands. The project area consists of eleven existing ponds, nine of which are located in the Torres Martinez wetlands, and 20 acres of proposed new habitat. GeoTubes are large synthetic

sandbag A sandbag or dirtbag is a bag or sack made of hessian (burlap), polypropylene or other sturdy materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification in trenches and bunkers, shielding gl ...

s that are laid along the edges of a body of water or seafront to create new or support deteriorated levees or berms. The size of these tubes can reach up to many feet in diameter. These GeoTubes will create the outer walls necessary to contain the water located within these new ponds and wetlands. This project will rely on the use of solar panels, or solar PV power, to pump the continuing flow of water that is needed to feed these restored ponds and wetlands. The water source for these ponds will be from a combination of a local

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteris ...

and

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

water. This project will be monitored to track the amount of time rehabilitation of the natural habitat takes to re-enter and flourish to provide an example for future related projects. Restoration of Red Hill Bay on the Salton Sea, California The Red Hill Bay's project goal, proposed in the 2012/2013 fiscal year, is to restore and fill the currently exposed playa located in the southern area of the Salton Sea which spans over 650 acres. This project will first establish two pumping systems to feed water back into the bay allowing migratory birds to once again utilize the habitat. The project will then implement the use of berm technology on the eastern side and the western entrance of the bay, ensuring proper containment of the newly fed water. This newly pumped water will come from two sources, the

Alamo River The Alamo River ( es, Río Álamo) flows west and north from the Mexicali Valley (Baja California) across the Imperial Valley (California). The river drains into the Salton Sea. The New River, Alamo River, and the Salton Sea of the 21st century ...

and the current salinated water of the Sea. This mixing of the two types of water will dilute the Sea's salinization levels to create a mixture capable of stabilizing and restoring the bay's natural habitat. The Red Hill Bay project will be used as an example to monitor the amount of time it takes for wildlife and fish to re-establish themselves back into this natural habitat in order to predict the ecological success for future potential Salton Sea restoration projects. , the project area remains flat, dry and dusty with budget issues and local politics delaying the work.{{Cite news, last=Singh, first=Maanvi, date=2021-07-24, title='The air is toxic': how an idyllic California lake became a nightmare, url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/23/salton-sea-california-lake-dust-drought-climate, access-date=2021-11-03, work=The Guardian, language=en

Notes

Salton Sea Local government in California Government of Imperial County, California Government of Riverside County, California 1993 in the environment 1993 establishments in California Organizations established in 1993