As part of the commitment to support salton sea management related to water conservation in the lower colorado river basin (commitments agreement), funding is being provided to the IID for…

The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $2,021,059 Project Grant under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (CFDA 15.517) program to the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) in California. The grant funding will support additional staff and technical consultants to accelerate implementation and monitoring of the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP). The SSMP aims to create 29,800 acres of wetlands and dust-suppression projects on exposed lakebed to restore fish and wildlife habitats impacted by the receding Salton Sea. The grant will fund IID's activities related to drain and vegetation monitoring, real estate and engineering support, legal and environmental compliance, and hydrologic modeling for the Salton Sea restoration efforts. This project grant is expected to be completed by June 30, 2029 and is part of the broader Commitments Agreement among federal, state, and local agencies to facilitate voluntary water conservation in the Lower Colorado River Basin.

As part of the commitment to support salton sea management related to water conservation in the lower colorado river basin (commitments agreement), funding is being provided to the IID for additional staff support and technical consultants to accelerate salton sea project implementation and monitoring. In 2022, the united states department of the interior (DOI), IID, coachella valley water district (cvwd), and california natural resources agency (cnra) entered into the commitments agreement to facilitate additional voluntary conservation in the lower colorado river basin for the benefit of the colorado river system. Due to the receding sea, IT has impacted many fish and wildlife habitation as well as increased health risks to the imperial and riverside counties residents because of the exposed lakebed. The salton sea management program (ssmp) calls for creation of 29,800 acres of wetlands and dust-suppression projects on portions of exposed lakebed. This proposed project is expected to increase the IID involvement, engagement, feedback, and evaluation for the implementation of the ssmp projects and initiatives at the sea. Providing resources to the IID will benefit the environment and public by expediting the delivery of wetlands and dust-suppression projects at the sea to restore fish and wildlife habitation. By empowering the IID through this agreement, IT will ensure there is representation, expertise, and meaningful involvement in the restoration efforts of the sea.activities being funded under this agreement are: drain and salton sea vegetation monitoring and reporting plan, real estate and engineering support, legal, environmental and administrative support, and salton sea hydrologic modeling .