SALTON SEA – Governor Gavin Newsom on May 22 announced a major restoration milestone at the Salton Sea – filling the East Pond Expansion with water to restore habitats lost over time due to increased salination and water loss. This comes as part of the larger Species Conservation Habitat Project, a 10-year plan for implementing projects around the Salton Sea to develop an environment sustainable for local wildlife and improve air quality by reducing dust expelled from the dried seabed.

The Salton Sea, California’s largest inland water body, has shrunk in recent years due to reduced inflows, resulting in an exposed lakebed that could potentially release small dust particles that further impact the already-poor air quality in the Imperial Valley. The reduced water levels and increased salinity also negatively impact habitat for wildlife, including birds traveling the Pacific flyway. 

The milestone is just the latest example of Governor Newsom’s prioritization of delivering large-scale projects at the Salton Sea that create environmental habitats and provide benefits to nearby communities. Previously envisioned as a 4,100 acre project funded primarily through bond funds at a cost of approximately $200 million, the state secured additional commitments from the federal government in recent years totaling $245 million – allowing the Species Conservation Habitat Project to more than double in size.