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Ecosystem Restoration Program
THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program Doug Osugi Colorado River and Salton Sea Office Department of Water Resources THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Ecosystem Restoration Program Staff Colorado River & Salton Sea Office • • • • • • • Dale Hoffman-Floerke – Chief Doug Osugi Jerry Boles Vic Nguyen Marti Kie Marcella Keppler Ramona Malinowski Southern District • Chuck Keene Department of Fish & Game • • • • • • Dee Sudduth Kim Nicol Arturo Delgado Juliet Virtue Chris Hayes Curt Taucher Consultant Team • CH2M Hill • DRI • UC Davis THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Location of the Salton Sea California California Palm Palm Springs Springs Los Los Angeles Angeles San San Diego Diego Tijuana Tijuana Salton Sea Arizona Arizona Colorado River U.S. U.S. Mexico Mexico Pacific Ocean Gulf of California THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Formation of the Salton Sea Ancient sea shoreline 1905 flood breached irrigation canal, forming Salton Sea Ancient Lake Cahuilla Ancient Gulf Salton Sea elevation Formation of delta Flow to Gulf Flow to basin Overflow to Gulf Historic lakes THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Basin: Important Ecological and Economic Resource America’s Winter ‘Bread Basket’ 200,000 visitors annually Over 6 million acres of farmland Bird watching, boating, fishing, and more … $1.5 billion annual agricultural industry THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program – Habitat Agricultural lands Irrigation drains Upland (riparian and desert woodland, and nonagricultural upland) Shallow Water and Shoreline Pools Deep Salt Water Islands Shoreline (rocky shoreline, mudflats, barnacle bars) Marsh and shallow open water THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Ecological Importance of the Salton Sea 400+ species of birds 70% of all the bird species in California 1/3 of California breeding bird species breed within Salton Sea ecosystem 19 species of high conservation concern THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea: An International Avian Airport 20,000 bird band records Birds recovered from as far away as Russia and Peru 2/3 of all migrating birds in the continental U.S. visit the Salton Sea THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea in the Summer THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea in the Winter THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea: White and Brown Pelicans THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Hydrology Inflow = 1.346 maf/yr Evaporation = 5.78 ft/yr Salinity = 46,000 mg/L Whitewater River Alamo River New River THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Declining Water Quality O2 Ca++, Na+, CO3-, ClNH3 H2S Se THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES 2003 Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement Colorado River apportionment for California - 4.4 million acre-feet per year (plus ½ of any surplus flows) - historically used ~800,000 acre-feet more than basic apportionment By early 1990s Arizona and Nevada neared use of full apportionments Negotiations among users of Colorado River culminated in QSA in October 2003 - local agencies agreed to reduce use of Colorado River water to basic apportionment - water transfers from Imperial IID to SDCWA and to CVWD - reduces inflows of agricultural runoff that constitute the sea's chief source of fresh water Acre feet (millions) 12 10 Contracted Supplies Storage Capacity California Water Supplies 11 8 6 4 2 5.2 4.4 5.8 4.1 7 3 SWP 20% 0 Colorado River CVP 46% SWP Colorado River 34% CVP Water deliveries THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES QSA Effects to Salton Sea Exposure of soils to winds Rapid Rise in Salinity Fishery Collapse Bird Die-Offs Receding shoreline THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES QSA Effects on Sea Elevation and Salinity No Action Alternative No AQM With AQM Exposed Area Salinity Elevation 200,000 228 150,000 238 125,000 248 100,000 75,000 258 50,000 268 25,000 278 Jan-75 Jan-72 Jan-69 Jan-66 Jan-63 Jan-60 Jan-57 Jan-54 Jan-51 Jan-48 Jan-45 Jan-42 Jan-39 Jan-36 Jan-33 Jan-30 Jan-27 Jan-24 Jan-21 Jan-18 Jan-15 Jan-12 Jan-09 Jan-06 Jan-03 0 Elevation (feet) Salinity (mg/L) or Exposed Area (acres) 175,000 THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES QSA Implementing Legislation Salton Sea Restoration Act • “it is the intent of the Legislature that the State of California undertake the restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem and the permanent protection of the wildlife dependent on that ecosystem • Requires the Secretary of the Resources Agency to undertake a restoration study to determine a preferred alternative for restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem, and to prepare: – Ecosystem Restoration Plan – Programmatic Environmental Impact Report – Funding Plan • Due to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2006 THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES QSA Implementing Legislation The preferred alternative shall provide the maximum feasible attainment of the following objectives: – Restoration of long-term stable aquatic and shoreline habitat for the historic levels and diversity of fish and wildlife that depend on the Salton Sea – Elimination of air quality impacts from the restoration projects – Protection of water quality “The Salton Sea ecosystem shall include, but is not limited to, the Salton Sea, the agricultural land surounding the Salton Sea, and the tributaries and drains within the Imperial aand Coachella Valleys that deliver water to the Salton Sea.” THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program - Inflows Habitat • Projected hydrology defines the water budget which can be allocated to various project components • Inflows affect the design and performance of Dust control alternative configurations • Uncertainties: - Mexico inflows to New and Alamo Rivers - IID inflows to New River, Alamo River, direct drains - CVWD inflows to Whitewater River, drains, and groundwater discharge/recharge - Local watershed surface runoff and groundwater inflows - Local evaporation rate Salton Sea THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program – Infrastructure Configurations No Action - CEQA No Action - Variability North Sea w/Saline Habitat Complex South Sea w/Saline Habitat Complex Concentric Rings Saline Habitat Complex THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program – Infrastructure Configurations Construction Considerations for all Configurations Pre- Construction considerations: • Environmental compliance and permitting • Availability of construction materials • Limitations of existing infrastructure (rail, roads, etc.) • Power needs • Right Right-of of-way acquisition Phased construction may take decades Studies, pilot projects and demonstration projects are being initiated THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program – Habitat North Sea Combined with SHC Configuration • • Overall goal – Restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem and the permanent protection of the wildlife dependent on that ecosystem Habitat objective – Restore long-term stable aquatic and shoreline habitat for the historic levels and diversity of fish and wildlife that depend on the Salton Sea Open Water 74,000 acres Barrier at 10 miles North of Mid-Sea Shallow Saline Habitat 25,000 acres Exposed playa – 56,000 acres Brine sink – 77,000 acres South Sea THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program – Habitat THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration: Competing Visions Salton Sea Authority North Lake Combined w/Saline Habitat Complex THE RESOURCES AGENCY Imperial Group DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Salton Sea Restoration Program – Schedule Implementation Schedule for Programmatic Environmental Impact Report and Ecosystem Restoration Study Draft PEIR and ERS published in March/April 2006 Final PEIR and ERS published in late fall 2006 Secretary for Resources submits plan to Legislature by December 31, 2006 Decision by State Legislature THE RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Questions?
