Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** forming a collaborative partnership…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** forming a collaborative partnership between CAL-state university LOS angeles and CAL-state university sacramento, the project focuses on educational training and the study of water and wetlands in the salton sea area. The salton sea has experienced progressive shrinkage since the late 1990S, posing a hazard to surrounding communities due to playa sediment exposure. These sediments contain inorganic and organic toxins, becoming airborne during dust storms. The emerging playa surfaces also support the development of near-shore wetlands, crucial for sustaining wetland vegetation and integral to local ecosystems supporting pollinators essential for agricultural crops and desert ecosystems. Our project aims to create innovative curriculum modules, integrative teaching methods, and research activities focusing on the availability, chemical quality, and sustainability of water sources and wetlands in the salton sea region. Engaging directly with partner organizations, california audubon and california department of water resources, we will collaborate on strategies for salton sea water and wetland sustainability analysis. Engagement with stakeholders will also occur through an annual fahn conference featuring a salton sea symposium. In educational initiatives, we will develop new course modules, comprising 1 to 2 lectures in 1 lower division class and 4 upper division classes in hydrology and environmental science. These modules relate to research topics investigated in the salton sea. Course cross-fertilization involves faculty guest lectures at participating campuses. The project also includes 5 integrative research projects covering inventories of water sources, modeling groundwater flow, tracking water movement through terrains and across wetlands, and acquiring airborne and drone imagery in salton sea to evaluate new and changing vegetation and emerging wetlands. Graduate and undergraduate student students will actively participate in this research.collaborative efforts with stakeholders involved in the project will involve data sharing and contributing to policy formulation and resource development for the salton sea community. The project will provide access to new information forming the basis for hydrologic models, serving as a pivotal planning tool for evaluating the feasibility of water extraction projects for dust suppression and wetland augmentation. This collaborative effort signifies a significant stride toward sustainable environmental management in the salton sea region.