California Legislature Approves Creation of Salton Sea Conservancy
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate passed Senate Bill 583, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) and co-authored by Coachella Valley Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), with bipartisan support. The bill creates the Salton Sea Conservancy to unify the state’s efforts to protect residents’ health, foster ecological recovery in the area, and to empower local stakeholders in that process.
Conservancies in California have had historic and recorded success in remediating and restoring some of the state’s most vulnerable habitats. The Salton Sea Conservancy would be California’s 11th conservancy and the first established in over 15 years. The state is making unprecedented investments in Salton Sea restoration efforts with over $250 million secured for critical restoration in the Inflation Reduction Act at the federal level, $60 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and $170 million if the voters pass the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. This financial commitment comes at a key time, ensuring residents have a seat at the table deciding how recovery efforts proceed and projects are prioritized.
The Salton Sea formed in 1905 after overflow from the Colorado River spilled into a basin in the desert, creating the largest lake in California. Over the past several decades, evaporation exacerbated by several extreme climate change-fueled droughts, has reduced the sea in size significantly, exposing toxic lakebed. The contaminated dust from the lakebed has had an overwhelming impact on the health of the surrounding communities, predominantly composed of Latino agricultural workers.
Hospitalization rates for children with asthma in the area are double the state average and residents have been especially affected by the rotten-egg odor from hydrogen sulfide overrunning the sea’s oxygen-deprived water. Imperial County, where the Sea is located, now suffers from some of the worst air quality in the country.
There have been numerous efforts by public health advocates, local leaders, and environmental justice groups to mitigate the negative health effects affecting communities. Similarly, environmental groups have sought aid from state and federal sources to preserve the environment and correct the toxic health inequities present. Previous attempts to restore the Salton Sea have stalled despite numerous legislative efforts.
“The Salton Sea continues to deteriorate and threaten the communities that call the region home,” said Senator Padilla. “This has only exacerbated the public health challenges that residents face, only proving what we know to be true – our underserved communities are on the front lines of this climate crisis already. This conservancy will empower local voices, those that face this reality every day, and give them meaningful say in the process of remediating this public health crisis.”
SB 583 would create the Salton Sea Conservancy, tasking it with coordinating management of all conservation projects in the region to restore the shrinking sea and reducing the negative health impact the Sea imposes.
Senate Bill 583 is supported by a broad coalition of environmental justice and community organizations.
"With the passing of SB 583, people living near the Salton Sea will have an avenue to coordinate with local, state, and federal representatives to ensure projects around the Sea better address the needs of their communities,” said Krystal Otworth, Policy Advocate, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “We look forward to working with Senator Padilla next year to keep building on this important step so that we can strengthen community engagement and enhance community benefits in the Salton Sea Region."
"We applaud the passage of SB 583, creating a much-needed Salton Sea Conservancy to manage the tens of thousands of acres of expected (and long-overdue) habitat and dust-suppression projects that will protect public and environmental health,” said Michael Cohen, senior associate at the Pacific Institute, who has worked to protect the Salton Sea for more than a quarter century. This new conservancy will be a vitally important step to protect the region and - importantly - to help ensure the resilience of the Colorado River and water supply reliability for more than 35 million people across seven states and Mexico.”
“By creating the Salton Sea Conservancy, SB 583 ensures that the Salton Sea will have a lead state agency dedicated to continuing programs that will protect communities and wildlife in the region,” said Mike Lynes, Policy Director for Audubon California. “Audubon is extremely grateful to Senator Padilla and all that supported SB 583 through the Legislature. We look forward to working with the new conservancy and its diverse board of directors to meet our shared goal of a healthier, sustainable Salton Sea.”
"Establishing the Salton Sea Conservancy is a crucial move toward securing the long-term environmental and economic future of our region,” said Silvia Paz, Executive Director, Alianza Coachella Valley. “At Alianza Coachella Valley we are deeply committed to fostering a sustainable and equitable future for all communities around the Salton Sea. This legislation exemplifies the kind of strategic collaboration and resource alignment needed to tackle one of our region's complex challenges, ensuring that environmental protection, public health, and economic growth advance to benefit everyone."
"We applaud the passage of Senator Padilla’s bill which is a real step forward in the State’s obligation to restore the Salton Sea and help local communities impacted by future projects," said Richard Miller, Chapter Director, Sierra Club San Diego.
SB 583 passed the Senate with bipartisan support by a vote of 39 to 0. The bill now heads to Governor Newsom’s desk for signature.
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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/