Salton Sea Authority Announces FY24 Funding for Salton Sea Feasibility Study by Salton Sea Authority May 16, 2024 Member Submitted News Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released its FY24 Work Plan which included an additional $3,878,000 in funding for the Salton Sea Feasibility Study (USACE study). Salton Sea Authority (Authority) Executive Director G. Patrick O’Dowd commended Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Connor, Chief of Engineers Spellmon, the Biden administration, and our Congressional delegation: “I sincerely and deeply thank Assistant Secretary Connor and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) for so highly prioritizing the Salton Sea.” Authority Board Secretary and Imperial Irrigation District Director Gina Dockstader added that: “These funds are critically needed to ensure that the USACE study and the action it ultimately recommends fully addresses the needs of our region, including those of the many disadvantaged Salton Sea communities that bear a disproportionate share of public health burdens.” In 2020, the Authority worked with our federal Congressional delegation to secure the authorization and the initial funding for the USACE study. In December 2022, USACE Los Angeles District, the Authority and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) committed to be joint sponsors of the work. Executive Director O’Dowd added that: “We would not be in this position without the very strong support of Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and our federal Congressional delegation. From passing legislation to initiate this study, to securing the initial funds to launch it, to urging the USACE to provide these funds today — our delegation continues to be steadfastly committed to securing significant federal resources for the Salton Sea.” The federal government has significant interests in the Salton Sea region, including in federally protected endangered species; in the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge and the Chocolate Mountain Gunnery; in major additional federal landholdings; and in our region’s renewable energy and lithium stores. The USACE study sponsors are currently evaluating the feasibility of alternatives identified in the State of California’s Salton Sea Management Program’s Long-Range Plan for protecting public health and restoring the degraded Salton Sea ecosystem. Embedded within the work to be funded in part with the FY24 funds provided by USACE today will be continued public outreach to area disadvantaged communities and required hydrologic modeling. The goal of this work is to arrive at a federal/state-funded Salton Sea long-range management plan. Salton Sea Authority and Coachella Valley Water District Vice President Cástulo Estrada added in conclusion: “I thank and commend both the USACE Los Angeles District and California DWR staff for their commitment to working with the Authority to ensure that the USACE study’s recommended course of action fully addresses the significant environmental and public health challenges in the Salton Sea region.”
