The Salton Sea in Southern California is an important fishery and a migratory bird stopover. It also receives runoff from irrigated fields that contains pesticides, fertilizer and potentially toxic naturally occurring substances. Because it is located in a desert that is characterized by hot summer temperatures and little rainfall, the agricultural runoff together with the limited rainfall does not equal evaporation from its surface so it is shrinking and becoming more saline.

Last month I wrote about how the Sea was formed, and because it is shrinking and because it receives agricultural runoff, about concerns for fish and wildlife. Another concern not discussed in last months article is that when the Sea shrinks, a sea bed of very fine material that dries rapidly is exposed. Strong winds can lift this potentially environmentally hazardous dust and distribute it over a large area including some of Southern California.

In 1995, I was invited to speak at a "Saving the Salton Sea" meeting in Palm Springs, California. At that time, I was Manager of the Department of the Interior's (DOI) National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP). Because the purpose of NIWQP was to investigate the impacts on fish and birds of runoff from DOI irrigation projects, agricultural runoff to the Sea was a concern for NIWQP.

The meeting consisted of experts from around the U. S. and concerned citizens from the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. I presented the results of a NIQWP study in the greater Salton Sea area including potential threats to migratory birds. Among the attendees was Duncan Hunter, the Congressman from that district. I participated in a panel discussion with him on the efficacy of solutions presented for saving the Sea.

One solution presented was construction of a canal to bring ocean water from the Sea of Cortez to the Salton Sea. Delivery of water by this 100 mile long canal would halt not only the shrinking of the sea but also stabilize its salinity closer to that of ocean water. There were two problems with this idea. First, it would require consent and cooperation of the Mexican government to construct the canal across approximately 50 miles of Mexico between the Sea of Cortez and the U.S./Mexican border. The second problem was cost. An estimate of $2 billion was proposed. Many attendees felt this estimate was far too low.

A second solution was to build dikes across the Salton Sea. The plan was to create an area in the Sea where the fish population could thrive and that migratory birds could use. It would involve bringing fresh water to this area from somewhere else, presumably the Colorado River, to stabilize the salinity and water level. The rest of the Sea would be allowed to continue to receive agricultural runoff and to become more saline and continue to shrink. This proposal also was expensive and had its advocates and detractors. A principal concern was the exposed sea bed and the dust from it.

The bottom line was that no action was taken on either proposal at the meeting or in the near future.

Fast forward to 2015. The Sea is still shrinking and becoming more saline. In the final article of this series I will discuss the most recent concerns and proposals for saving the Sea. The scenarios are fascinating.