Salton Sea tour celebrates marshland birds

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 15, 2010 at 6:21 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“Valentine’s Day was for the birds, at least for the 10 people who toured marsh areas of the Valley on Sunday as part of the International Bird Festival.

Some have thought that Valentine’s Day was based off of the bird’s mating cycle, said Eldon Caldwell, who guided the tour Sunday. Saturday showcased a pair of tundra swans in the Salton Sea and others mating Sunday.

The tour, which was mainly attended by out-of-towners and snowbirds, toured the area and showed off great blue herons, gulls, western and great egrets, he said. The tour followed two days of symposiums about marsh birds, which added a very educational feature to the festival.

“I hope we’re going to continue that,” he said. “(Imperial Valley College is) a great location to have it.” … “

February 15, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Status of Salton Sea subject of seminar

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 13, 2010 at 6:36 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“The Salton Sea’s future is unknown, said Al Kalin, a local farmer and lifelong Imperial Valley resident during his presentation Friday at the Salton Sea International Bird Festival.

There is currently no agreed-upon plan to restore the Salton Sea or the funding to do so. This is at a time that the sea continues to shrink exposing more and more playa that adds dust to the air.

The decrease in the water level is causing thousands of acres of playa to be exposed. A decrease of five feet would mean exposing 17,000 acres of playa because of the shallowness of the sea. Thus far the water level has decreased by 3.2 feet, Kalin said.

The playa being exposed causes a white powder high in sodium sulfate to be blown about by the wind. The powder harms human health and burns crops, Kalin said. … “

February 13, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Salton Sea must be solved, says commentary

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 13, 2010 at 6:35 am

From the Imperial Valley Press, this commentary by Marion Ashley, Salton Sea Authority Supervisor, Fifth District, Riverside County Board of Supervisors:

“San Diego County residents, like all of us in Southern California, rely just as much on a complex system of water rights and environmental conditions to deliver our water as we rely on the canals and pipelines that bring it to our taps. Among these conditions is the obligation to sustain the Salton Sea. The 370-square-mile briny lake requires water from the Colorado to keep its unique ecosystem going — water that could be used by San Diego, Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico.

But the issues surrounding the Salton Sea require more thought and creativity that just wishing that the sea would go away … “

February 13, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Salton Sea museum readies for opening

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 12, 2010 at 7:19 am

From MyDesert.com:

“The Salton Sea History Museum at the historic North Shore Beach & Yacht Club has launched a Web site, www.saltonseamuseum.org, in anticipation of the museum’s grand opening scheduled for early April.

Jennie Kelly, director of the museum and the East Valley Historical Society, is on the lookout for photos, memorabilia and old newspapers from the area — including the Salton Seafarer, North Shore News, Desert Barnacle — as well as other general history items about east valley historical sites including Desert Beach/Eilers Date Palm Beach, Thermal, Mecca, Oasis and Valerie.

The facility, a 50-year-old Albert Frey-designed building, considered an architectural treasure, is wrapping up a $3.5 million renovation.

When it reopens, it will include a community center, museum and visitors center. … “

February 12, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Imperial County and Salton Sea important to bird species

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 12, 2010 at 7:16 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“The Imperial Valley fills an important need for many bird species. And beginning Thursday, the 13th annual Salton Sea International Bird Festival began celebrating and embracing the role the Valley plays for many birds. The bird festival will go on until Sunday with tours, hands-on activities for children and seminars.

Farming activity, the Salton Sea and the water distribution and drainage system in the county create habitats for a variety of bird species.

In fact, the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge has the greatest number of documented bird species in all of North America, Chris Schoneman, refuge manager at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, said. There are 400 reported species that visit the Valley throughout the year. … “

Burrowing owls were featured in the festival, according to this related Imperial Valley Press story:

“Since the Imperial Valley is home to about 70 percent of California’s burrowing owl population, it was one of the stars at the Salton Sea International Bird Festival on Thursday.

The burrowing owl, as its name suggests, lives in burrows it digs in the ground. Marie Barrett, of Barrett’s Biological Surveys in El Centro, said burrowing owls help the Valley’s ecosystem. She also said the owl’s looks make it an attractive creature to study.

“He’s the cutest critter,” she said. “He’s an integral part of the Imperial Valley environment. They eat insects and rodents, so they help clean up our environment for us.” … “

February 12, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

U.S.-Mexico pipeline fix for Salton Sea reviewed

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 6, 2010 at 7:47 am

From MyDesert.com:

“Salton Sea — A new public-private partnership idea to save the dying Salton Sea puts a new twist on an old idea — bringing water in through a canal from Mexico’s Gulf of California.

The concept, which goes back to the late 1950s, has been dismissed multiple times over the decades as too expensive, too unworkable and too hard to coordinate with disinterested Mexican officials.

But the rising price for water, dropping costs for desalination and the West’s increasingly dire water needs have given the sea restoration concept new legs.

Utility Solutions Group, a water consulting firm based in Reno, Nev., has over the past two years quietly worked with private firms and federal, state and local officials on a “Sea-to-Sea” restoration plan.

The group proposes importing up to 1.5 million acre-feet of sea water per year from the Sea of Cortez in Baja Mexico, using new and existing channels, to serve as a long-term source of water for the Salton Sea. … “

February 6, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Commentary: Salton Sea’s fate should concern all

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:58 am

From the North County Times, this commentary/rebuttal by Marion Ashley and Gary Wyatt of the Salton Sea Authority to a recent editorial suggesting the Salton Sea be allowed to dry up:

” … the issues surrounding the Salton Sea require more thought and creativity that just wishing that the sea would go away. Along Highway 395 on the eastern slope of the Sierras, the Owens Lake nearly dried up after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power diverted the Owens River for use by Los Angeles residents. The resulting exposure of the dry lake bed was catastrophic. Arsenic-infused dust blew up and down the valley, creating an environmental disaster that has still not been fully solved, and associated legal challenges, air quality fines and mitigation costs may approach $1 billion.

If allowed to dry up, the Salton Sea, a lake that is four times the size of Owens Lake, could create an air quality disaster for California, with legal and mitigation costs dwarfing what the Los Angeles water department must pay. By not preserving the sea, which is part of the Pacific Flyway, the state will be in violation of an international Migratory Bird Treaty. … “

January 31, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

For the Salton Sea, doing nothing is not an option

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 29, 2010 at 7:36 am

From MyDesert.com, this commentary by Ira Laufer, a member of the Rancho Mirage Planning Commission:

“The recent Desert Sun editorial addressing problems of the Salton Sea was very important. We must be informed because it could affect us all.

Remember, if no plan gets approved, the biggest problem is doing nothing. Although the sea lies 10 to 20 miles away from our cities, it is ultra serious. It could affect our health, our livability and our tourist industry, which has economic disaster proportions.

Much of the support to date has been on environmental grounds as an important bird wetlands. Absolutely true. But overlooked is the potential multifaceted damage in the cities of the Coachella Valley, almost a half-million residents.

When I produced “Community Dialogue” on local television, I did research for eight Salton Sea programs and a glaring point was the devastation if we let it dry up. … “

Picture of the Salton Sea by Keith Skelton and the Chiaroscuro Photo Workshops.

January 29, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Imperial Irrigation District votes on geothermal water today

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 20, 2010 at 5:55 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“The Hudson Ranch 1 geothermal plant developer may get the green light to purchase water from the Imperial Irrigation District during a special board meeting today.

“It’s been four years of development, and we’re right on the verge of financial closing for construction of Hudson Ranch 1, so we’re very excited,” said Dave Watson, who represented CHAR — the plant’s developer, comprised of the firms Catalyst Renewables and Hannon Armstrong — at Tuesday’s IID meeting.

If the IID board approves CHAR’s request to purchase 800 acre-feet of water annually, the firm could begin finalizing finances for construction. Groundbreaking would happen in February or March, and construction would last about two years.

The proposed $350 million, 49-megawatt plant would use up to 800 acre-feet of water annually from the IID’s interim water supply policy. The IID’s IWSP provides 25,000 acre-feet of water annually for nonagricultural projects and will ultimately lead to the integrated water resources management plan. … “

Photo of a geothermal plant in the Imperial Valley by Aquafornia.

January 20, 2010 · Filed Under Geothermal Energy, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Chance of Rain blog: Thunk Tank – Laugh, cry, move to somewhere wetter, but believe it: Among the architects of the plan to save the Delta are many of the same brains behind the QSA

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 19, 2010 at 7:34 am

From Emily Green at the Chance of Rain blog:

“Next Monday, the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water and Power will be holding a local hearing at the Los Angeles offices of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The subject?

“California drought solutions.”

If that seems an odd thing to be contemplating during a deluge, it’s not. Most of our water does not come from local rainfall, but from other places, which, if not in a drought, are definitely in a jam. Last week, that jam became orders of magnitude worse as Sacramento judge Roland Candee struck down something called the Quantification Settlement Agreement.

This 2003 wad of contracts profoundly affects how California may legally divide and manage its share of the Colorado River, which is along with Owens Valley in the Eastern Sierra and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California one of the three main sources of fresh water for Southern California.

Candee’s voiding of the QSA last week is scary for at least two reasons. First, Southern Californian cities could lose vast amounts of water secured in trades under the agreement. Second, and, most nerve-wracking for this writer, the geniuses behind the QSA are in many cases the same brains behind the much-vaunted package of bills that we’re told will “fix” the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. These bills are due to come before California voters in November in the form of an $11bn ballot measure. … “

Continue reading this post at the Chance of Rain blog by clicking here.

January 19, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Water ruling is all wet, says editorial: “we hope the appeal succeeds, the judge is overturned and the Salton Sea is ultimately left to dry up”

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 19, 2010 at 6:23 am

From the North County Times, an editorial regarding Judge Candee’s recent decision regarding the QSA. At the root of the ruling is Salton Sea restoration:

” … Once again, we’re reminded of the folly represented by the modern response to the accident of the Salton Sea.

It was created this time around (there have been natural versions of it in past eons), when water accidentally breached a canal in 1905 and flowed into a depression 230 feet below sea level for a couple of years.

Unfortunately for all of us, the migratory bird population found it to be to their liking over the years, and it has become an important part of the flyway. But as the lake evaporates, the salt and toxic mineral content increases, making it unsuitable for the birds and fish. That prompts overreaching environmentalists to seek drastic measures to “save” the sea.

Since we believe a higher and better use is to move the water conservation in the valley (the essence of the deal) to the thirsty parts of San Diego County, we hope the appeal succeeds, the judge is overturned and the Salton Sea is ultimately left to dry up.”

Read the full text of this editorial from the North County Times by clicking here.

January 19, 2010 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Salton Sea mitigation must continue

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 17, 2010 at 7:18 am

From MyDesert.com:

“The environmental threat posed by the shrinking Salton Sea must be mitigated. However, a ruling by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge on the historic 2003 agreement that approved the largest water transfer in U.S. history puts the funding for the mitigation in jeopardy.

On Thursday, Judge Roland L. Candee made final his ruling that the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) — a compact of 13 contracts involving various states and agencies, including the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) — was unconstitutional because it is a “blank check” for the state to protect the environment.

The QSA

The QSA attempted to settle a decades-long battle to get California to live within its 4.4 million acre-foot water right to the Colorado River. (An acre-foot is the amount of water a foot deep covering an acre, the size of a football field.)

As part of the agreement, the Imperial Irrigation District agreed that farmers would let land go fallow and transfer water to San Diego for urban uses. It also provides 330,000 acre-feet to CVWD. As agriculture shrinks around California’s largest lake, less runoff flows into it.

An appeal is coming

Steve Robbins, CVWD general manager, said district lawyers will attend a status conference with the judge Monday in Sacramento. … “

January 17, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

With no large plan for Salton Sea, we’re making incremental progress, says commentary

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 17, 2010 at 7:10 am

From MyDesert.com, this commentary by Kimberly Nicol, environmental program manager for the California Department of Fish and Game’s Inland Deserts Region:

“While the California Legislature has not yet taken any action to approve or reject any alternative for restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem, the departments of Fish and Game and Water Resources have begun the Species Conservation Habitat Project.

The habitat project is being planned to provide interim habitat until a restoration alternative is implemented. This is necessary because the salinity of the sea continues to increase and eventually will no longer support fish and wildlife. The habitat project will consist of about 2,400 acres of interconnected shallow ponds up to 6 feet deep and ranging in size from 100 to 500 acres.

In addition to providing habitat, the project has the added bonus of providing air quality benefits. As the sea recedes and the playa becomes exposed, there is the potential for sediment to become wind-borne creating human health issues. By covering the exposed playa with ponds, the air quality impacts will be reduced.

The Salton Sea ecosystem is one of the most important wetlands for birds in North America and supports some of the highest levels of avian biodiversity in the southwestern United States. This extremely valuable resource for resident and migratory bird species includes a large number of threatened and endangered species, and species of concern. … “

January 17, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Bono Mack: Restoration of the Salton Sea must remain priority

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 17, 2010 at 7:09 am

From the website of Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack:

“Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45), Chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force, today issued the following statement on the judicial ruling that declared invalid the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA), which is aimed to ensure restoration of the Salton Sea and sustainable water resources for the Southwest:

“I am very concerned about the potential impact this court ruling will have on our entire region and on vital restoration efforts at the Salton Sea.

“We’ve taken years to get to this point, and like all parties that were involved in this process, I understand how important it is to find meaningful solutions that ensure the beneficial use of our scarce water resources in southern California and the southwestern states.

“I will continue to work with all stakeholders and local residents to move forward on a path that addresses this serious issue, which involves not only establishing a reliable water source for the Southwest but also preserving the health and wellbeing of our entire region. The stakes are simply too high to allow the years of complex negotiations and hard work to have been in vain. ” “

January 17, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Historical California water deal ruled unconstitutional: Contracts were a “blank check” to be paid by taxpayers

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 17, 2010 at 7:08 am

From YubaNet.com, this statement from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP:

“Jan. 14, 2010 – Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP today obtained a state court judgment invalidating a landmark 2003 water deal transferring water from Imperial County to San Diego. The ruling effectively unravels a multi-agency agreement called the Quantification Settlement Agreement for the Colorado River (”QSA”) which would have drastically reduced the size of the Salton Sea, leading to severe air pollution and destruction of crops and land values in the Imperial Valley. The firm obtained the judgment on behalf of its clients, Imperial Valley landowners and growers located in the along the Salton Sea, California’s largest inland water body.

The QSA is a set of 11 agreements made between state and local water agencies in 2003. It aimed to reduce inland, rural water use and transfer the “conserved” water to San Diego. The reduced rural water flows would dry up the Salton Sea, unless serious mitigation measures were taken.

Ruling in favor of Lewis Brisbois’ client, Judge Roland L. Candee today held that the QSA was void because the State of California unconstitutionally agreed to pay for unlimited costs to remediate damage to the Salton Sea, essentially writing a “blank check.” Estimated costs of remediation or restoration of a damaged Salton Sea range from $178 million to $9 billion, which the legislature never appropriated. Despite this ruling, the judge has issued a stay, which means that the water transfers may continue until a higher court hears an anticipated appeal. … “

January 17, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Chance of Rain blog: How will Judge Candee’s decision affect the restoration efforts for the Salton Sea?

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 16, 2010 at 8:31 am

Emily Green at the Chance of Rain answers the question for us:

“For those who have asked about the impact of of this week’s ruling by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Roland Candee as it affects the Salton Sea restoration deal incorporated in the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement and Joint Powers Authority funding agreement (QSA JPA), here are some relevant excerpts from the decision. Copious numbered references have been struck for coherence and eyeball-busting acronyms have been decoded. The full text of the decision is available here.

These edited excerpts come from Sections 6 through 9, pages 33 through 43 of the decision.

“Dealing with the Salton Sea appears to the Court to have been the single most significant environmental issue faced in the QSA process. The Salton Sea is California’s largest lake, located north of the Mexican border at the northern end of the Imperial Irrigation District service area and the southern end of Coachella Valley Water District’s service area. … “

Continue reading this post at the Chance of Rain blog by clicking here.

Picture by flickr photographer slworking2 (Creative Commons).

January 16, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Watering canned: Lewis Brisbois wins bar of sweeping California water deal

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 16, 2010 at 8:27 am

From The AM Law Litigation Daily:

“As a life-long East Coaster, our introduction to California’s long struggle over water rights was informed by Roman Polanski’s epic Chinatown, which was based on a real-life scandal involving the Los Angeles water board’s draining of Owens Lake, a once-pristine oasis. We thought again of the movie on Thursday, when a California state court judge barred a sweeping water deal that opponents said would have wreaked the same havoc on the Salton Sea and the farmland of Imperial County–except on a much larger scale.

The ruling effectively unravels a 2003 agreement between various state water boards; the city of San Diego; and the governments of California and surrounding states to divert the Colorado River. California superior court Judge Roland Candee ruled that the deal was void because California violated the state constitution when it agreed to pay an unlimited amount to remediate damage to the Salton Sea, even though the state legislature never appropriated the $178 million to $9 billion that the cleanup is estimated to cost.

The verdict was a big win for Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith partner Malissa McKeith, who represented a group of farmers in the Imperial Valley. … “

January 16, 2010 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Friday’s top of the scroll: Judge upholds QSA ruling, delivers blow to San Diego’s water supply, Salton Sea restoration in question

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 15, 2010 at 8:19 am

From Michael Gardner of the San Diego Union Tribune:

“The San Diego region’s water supply took a precarious turn Thursday when a Sacramento County Superior Court judge struck down a series of agreements central to sharing the Colorado River.

“An appeal is certain,” said Dennis Cushman, assistant general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, a party to the litigation.

Judge Roland Candee’s ruling affirmed his earlier tentative decision that determined it was unconstitutional for California to commit to an open-ended financial liability for restoring the Salton Sea.

“The court has no ability to sanction a way to contract around the constitution,” Candee said in his ruling released Thursday afternoon. Under the spending language of the agreement, “constitutional limits would be easily gutted,” he wrote. … “

From the Los Angeles Times:

” … Several environmental challenges were filed against the deal. In his final decision, Judge Roland L. Candee sidestepped those issues and ruled on a narrow contract matter involving funding to restore the Salton Sea.

But Candee also concluded that because restoration and other aspects of the pact were closely related, the agreement itself was not valid. That broad ruling surprised and delighted one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, who argued on behalf of landowners near the Salton Sea.

“I never anticipated I would win,” said Malissa Hathaway McKeith.

Created a century ago by a breakaway diversion of the Colorado River, the sea has survived as a giant drainage pit for irrigation runoff from the Imperial Valley’s sprawling agricultural operations, which get the lion’s share of the state’s Colorado River allotment.

But the water transfers to residential areas, which will gradually increase, mean there will be less farm runoff flowing into the increasingly salty inland lake.

“The [pact] has accelerated the death of the Salton Sea,” argued McKeith. “It’s 6 feet lower than it was in 2003, and that should not have happened.

“I don’t believe water transfers should be permitted until the environmental and economic impacts are fully analyzed and addressed.” … “

So what happens now? The Imperial Valley Press reports:

” … Candee approved the SDCWA request for a stay — or continuation of the water transfer — until the deadline for filing a notice of appeal. However, he denied its request for a continuation of the water transfer during the appeals process, which could last two years. SDCWA declined to comment.

County Counsel Michael Rood and IID General Counsel Jeffrey Garber said IID, SDCWA, CVWD and MWD could still pursue a stay from the appellate court during the appeals process.

“(The stay) is either upon appeal or we would request one from the appellate court,” Garber said.

He said the water agencies have a good case for a stay. Garber said the agencies have yet to spend the $133 million in environmental mitigation funds agreed upon in 2003. The funds cover any environmental impacts the QSA has on the environment

“I think there’s a strong argument we should get one given the QSA has been going on for more than six years, and the state’s obligation to pay for mitigation won’t kick in for many years,” he said.

Rood said Imperial County is prepared to discuss ways to minimize the impact of the QSA on the Salton Sea with IID and the water agencies.

“The county stands ready and willing to meet with the parties to try to resolve these issues and would be willing to meet and discuss ways that could be done,” he said. … “

The Chance of Rain blog says the ruling “has put a concentrated bounce into what Southern Californian water managers have long fashioned as their “hard landing” after they were forced in 2003 by six less well-off states sharing the Colorado River to stop hogging as much as 962,000 acre feet of water above their legal allotment of 4.4 million. … ” – click here for more from the Chance of Rain blog.

For even more information, check out this website on the QSA case from the Superior Court of California (thank you to the Groksurf blog for sending me the link), and here is an article with a ton of background information which is completely referenced from a website called The News Researcher.

Picture of Salton Sea by flickr photographer slworking2 (Creative Commons).

January 15, 2010 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

1 Comment

New solar pond distillation system devised; Salton Sea could benefit from it

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 5, 2010 at 4:53 pm

From Science Daily:

“Ecosystems of terminus lakes around the world could benefit from a new system being developed at the University of Nevada, Reno to desalinate water using a specialized low-cost solar pond and patented membrane distillation system powered by renewable energy.

“These lakes — hundreds worldwide — such as the Great Salt Lake, the Salton Sea, the Aral Sea and Walker Lake here in Nevada, see a decline in water levels and an increase in salinity from both human and natural processes,” Francisco Suarez, a doctoral student in hydrological sciences at the University, said. “The high levels of salinity are dangerous and unsustainable for aquatic life.” … “

January 5, 2010 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Analysis: Court releases tentative ruling that would invalidate the Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 24, 2009 at 7:58 am

From Eric W. Davis at Somach Simmons & Dunn:

“On December 10, 2009, Judge Roland L. Candee of the Sacramento Superior Court issued a tentative ruling that, if adopted, would invalidate a series of accords that were intended to resolve disputes over the allocation of water from the Colorado River. The court’s ruling could jeopardize a whole network of agreements and water transfers executed in 2003 that would have reduced California’s reliance on the waters of the Colorado River.

Background

Colorado River water supplies, which are allocated among several western states by the 1922 Colorado River Compact (CRC), have come under increasing pressure in recent decades thanks to drought and increasing population in the West. One particular source of tension has been the consumption of Colorado River water within the state of California, where growers and municipalities in the southern part of the state regularly use more than the 4.4 million acre-feet allocated to the state under the CRC. In 2003, Colorado water users and the federal government entered into an accord known as the “Quantification Settlement Agreement” (QSA) and a series of related agreements and water transfers intended to resolve conflicts over water supply and to bring California’s consumption back within its allocation under the CRC. The QSA was hailed by then Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton as the “resolution of issues that have been unresolved for more than 70 years.”

Resolution, however, proved to be fleeting. … “

Continue reading at the Somach Simmons & Dunn website by clicking here.

December 24, 2009 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

USGS report on the Salton Sea Ecosystem Monitoring Project

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 24, 2009 at 7:50 am

From the USGS:

“The Salton Sea is critically important for wintering and breeding waterbirds, but faces an uncertain future due to water delivery reductions imposed by the Interstate and Federal Quantification Settlement Agreement of 2003.

The current preferred alternative for wetland restoration at the Salton Sea is saline habitat impoundments created to mitigate the anticipated loss of wetland habitat. In 2006, a 50-hectare experimental complex that consisted of four inter-connected, shallow water saline habitat ponds (SHP) was constructed at the southeastern shoreline of the Salton Sea and flooded with blended waters from the Alamo River and Salton Sea.

The present study evaluated ecological risks and benefits of the SHP concept prior to widespread restoration actions. This study was designed to evaluate (1) baseline chemical, nutrient, and contaminant measures from physical and biological constituents, (2) aquatic invertebrate community structure and colonization patterns, and (3) productivity of and contaminant risks to nesting waterbirds at the SHP. These factors were evaluated and compared with those of nearby waterbird habitat, that is, reference sites.”

Download a copy of the report by clicking here.

December 24, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Monday’s top of the scroll: Salton Sea at epicenter of dispute: Judge’s ruling may muddy future of restoration effort

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 21, 2009 at 7:16 am

From MyDesert.com:

“It’s not clear what impact a new ruling on Calfornia’s water pact will have on Salton Sea restoration, but for now nothing has changed.

“Really, what you’ve got right now is status quo,” said Kevin Kelley, spokesman for the Imperial Irrigation District.

A Superior Court judge on Thursday tentatively ruled that a 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement was invalid because the state did not place a limit on its share of the cost to restore the shrinking Salton Sea.

Saving the state’s largest lake was a crucial piece of the water agreement, which was designed to reduce California’s overuse of Colorado River water and give other states their fair share.

“(The judge) invalidated that part of the contract, and because the rest of the contracts were so bound up with that Salton Sea question, he invalidated them too,” Kelley said. … “

Picture of the Salton Sea at sunset by flickr photographer watch4u (Creative Commons).

December 21, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Salton Sea Authority creates committee to look at Sea to Sea concept

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 18, 2009 at 6:31 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“COACHELLA — Instead of voting on a sea restoration plan, the Salton Sea Authority chose to create a sub-committee for additional consideration of a memorandum of understanding Thursday morning.

Because of conflicting opinions, the Board of Directors didn’t decide on a memorandum for a public/private partnership known as the Sea to Sea concept, said Salton Sea Authority Executive Director Michael O’Connor. The memorandum would allow the authority to look into building a canal from the Sea of Cortez in Mexico to the Salton Sea.

Concept creator Gary Jennings gave a presentation at the meeting about the plan, O’Connor said.

However, there were some concerns over things like budgets, O’Connor said. … “

December 18, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Colorado River water pact in jeopardy: Ruling covering Salton Sea could unravel complex deals

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 17, 2009 at 8:17 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

“Southern California’s water managers insist it should be easy to overcome the latest challenge to a landmark, seven-state pact to share the Colorado River that also produced a vast new supply of water for the San Diego region.

But nearly a century of litigation and political turmoil has shown that when it comes to water-use conflicts in the West, there are few easy remedies.

The latest example comes from Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Roland Candee, who has identified a flaw in the agreement that he said could invalidate at least the provisions unique to California.

At a hearing today, Candee could finalize the tentative ruling he issued last week, which centered on a side element of the pact — how much money the Legislature should commit to restoring the Salton Sea. … “

December 17, 2009 · Filed Under Colorado River Basin, Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Judge rules against landmark 2003 state water pact (QSA): Future of the Salton Sea in question

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 12, 2009 at 9:05 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

“A state judge appears poised to throw out a landmark pact involving California’s use of Colorado River water.

If upheld, Thursday’s tentative ruling by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge would unravel a complex 2003 agreement that put the state on a timetable to reduce its reliance on the Colorado River.

Brokered by federal, state and regional officials, the deal also established a program of farm-to-city water sales that are playing a growing role in Southern California’s water supply.

“It’s very serious,” said Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “There will be appeals. It’s going to be some time before we know what it all means and what the impact is.” … “

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

” … Water officials said they are unclear how the decision will affect the transfer and the future restoration of the Salton Sea, which was to be funded in part selling the transferred water to residential customers.

“I don’t think it has any immediate effect. It doesn’t mean the water will quit moving tomorrow,” said Steve Robbins, general manager of the Coachella Valley Water District, which gets about a third of the water. “I don’t see this as the death of the QSA. We might have to revise it.”

Kevin Kelley, spokesman for the Imperial district, said water will continue to flow at least until the district’s board and attorneys meet next week to discuss the tentative ruling.

The judgment is expected to be made final after the parties meet with Superior Court Judge Roland L. Candee on Thursday in Sacramento, where the trial was held. … “

From MyDesert.com:

” … Saving the state’s largest lake was a crucial piece of the water agreement, which was designed to reduce California’s overuse of Colorado River water and give other states their fair share.

“(The judge) invalidated that part of the contract, and because the rest of the contracts were so bound up with that Salton Sea question, he invalidated them too,” Kelley said.

The Coachella Valley Water District is carefully reviewing the ruling to determine its impact, according to a statement. CVWD receives 330,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually — an amount that would not be guaranteed without the QSA. An acre-foot is roughly the amount of water that two Coachella Valley homes use annually.

“We are sure (the ruling) does not mean the end of the QSA, but rather indicates more work is left to be done among all negotiating parties,” the statement said. … “

Imperial County officials hailed the decision, according to KXO Radio:

” … The Chairman says the County does not categorically oppose a prudent transfer of water to urban Southern California, but for six years has prosecuted its legal claims against the now invalidated arrangement. He says the court has sustained the County investment, and they hope and expect that its decision leads to a future in which the County has a place at the table, with the federal and state governments and the water districts, to ensure that any water transfer from this Valley protects public health and provides the County with the resources needed to ensure the outcome. … “

“The County contends once the decision is final there will be no legal authority to transfer water out of the Imperial Valley,” reports KXO. Read the full text of this story from KXO Radio by clicking here.

December 12, 2009 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Friday’s top of the scroll: Judge invalidates QSA

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 11, 2009 at 8:03 am

From the Silicon Valley Mercury News:

“SAN DIEGO—A California judge on Thursday tentatively invalidated a landmark pact to curtail the state’s overuse of water and allow other Western states to claim their fair share. The 2003 agreement ended of years of bickering over how to divide the Colorado River between California and six western states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

More than 30 million acre-feet of water—enough to cover the state of Pennsylvania a foot deep—would move from farms to cities in Southern California over the 75-year life of the deal.

Superior Court Judge Roland Candee ruled in Sacramento that the state improperly agreed to pick up much of the cost of saving the shrinking Salton Sea in the southeastern California desert. Restoring the state’s largest lake was a crucial piece of the agreement.

The state put no limit on costs, “even if they ultimately amounted to millions or billions of dollars,” violating a constitutional limit on assuming debts, Candee wrote. … “

The court also decided other issues, reports the Imperial Valley Press:

” … The tentative ruling stated that there was no illegal conflict of interest between the IID and its outside counsel, David Osias, consultant, Rodney Smith or former chief counsel John Carter.

It maintained that the IID did not overstep authority or violate trust obligations.

The tentative ruling also stated that the IID was not obligated to allocate conserved water to landowners as part of the QSA.

IID General Counsel Jeffrey Garber said it was a mixed result.

“The court upheld IID’s right to do the transfer,” he said.

County Counsel Michael Rood said the county seeks to uphold public health through its legal action.

“The county hopes and expects the decision would lead to a future in which the county has a place at the table with federal and state governments and water districts to ensure that any water transfer from this Valley protects public health and provides the county with the resources needed to ensure that outcome,” Rood said. … “

Photo of the Salton Sea by flickr photographer slworking2 (Creative Commons).

December 11, 2009 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Trial to settle water rights, Salton Sea issues

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 10, 2009 at 8:20 am

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

“After years of legal disputes, a judge is expected to rule this week on the legality of a pact that transfers billions of gallons of Colorado River water from farms to cities.

At issue is the Quantification Settlement Agreement of 2003, which authorizes the nation’s largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer. The 75-year deal was designed to keep California from drawing more than its share from the river.

The agreement authorizes the Imperial Irrigation District, the largest holder of water rights on river, to send up to 300,000 acre-feet per year of water to the San Diego County Water Authority and Coachella Valley Water District.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the wholesaler for many Inland water agencies, the federal government and California are also part of the accord.

But the pact is fraught with problems. More than a dozen legal challenges to the agreement are the subject of a trial that began in Sacramento last month and is expected to last well into next year. … “

December 10, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

IID board votes to express support for sea-to-sea project

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 8, 2009 at 6:21 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“The Imperial Irrigation Board of Directors voted Monday to express support for the concept to pump water from the Sea of Cortez to the Salton Sea.

The board voted 4 to 1 to express support for a memorandum of understanding between the Salton Sea Authority and Utility Solutions, which proposed the sea-to-sea concept.

The MOU to express support does not require a monetary or water commitment from the IID, Director John Pierre Menvielle said.

“It’s important IID try to work with the different agencies involved with the Salton Sea Authority and for us to try to work with Imperial County to see if there are some things we can do to help protect the sea,” Menvielle said. … “

December 8, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Imperial County Supervisors support Salton Sea restoration plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 25, 2009 at 7:51 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“California’s largest inland body of water may get the help it needs after the Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted in support of a memorandum of understanding between public and private partnerships.

However, the decision will not be made until Dec. 17 when the Salton Sea Authority discusses signing the memorandum, said Deputy County Executive Officer Andy Horne. The authority asked for input from its members, which include Imperial County, Imperial Irrigation District, Riverside County, Coachella Valley Water District and Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.

The general plan is to import water from the Sea of Cortez to stabilize the elevation of the Salton Sea, he said. A channel would be built between the two to move water. … “

An Imperial Valley Press editorial says although this particular plan may not work, the concept is right:

” … We see the regulatory hurdles between Mexico and the United States, the environmental hurdles from the state of California and the mass coordination that must occur on this project as its undoing. Fifteen years to pass these problems is a pipe dream, and what then? Will the sea even be worth saving at that point?

But the fact remains that something must be done, and the idea that agencies around here are looking to public-private partnerships is encouraging. The public sector is hardly the sole mechanism to get anything done these days, and it will take private enterprise, from the money to the ingenuity to get results.

The state of California is contractually obligated through the Quantification Settlement Agreement to restore the Salton Sea, but the state is broke and likely will never be in the position to go forward with a restoration plan in the multiples of billions of dollars.

This “Sea to Sea” concept might not be the right one at this time, but this is the kind of innovative and creative thinking that will make a fix for the sea possible in the future.”

Read the full text of this editorial from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.

A pipeline or channel from the Sea of Cortez to the Salton Sea has been studied several times throughout the decades that people have been working on restoration plans for the Salton Sea. Here are some articles from the archives:

And, drum roll please, my favorite plan for the Salton Sea – the ginormous, gargantuan Salton Sea channel plan, which features a channel from the Sea of Cortez to Indio, with a shipping port in El Centro & cruise ship access to casinos in Indio, desalinated water and power for all, hydrogen to run our automobiles, and perhaps the best part of all – removal of all of the dams in the Western U.S. !! Oh yes, and in the process, generating trillions (!!) of dollars for our economy! Read all about it here:

November 25, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Imperial County Supervisors to discuss Salton Sea plan to bring in water from Sea of Cortez

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 24, 2009 at 6:25 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“What could be the biggest water project in the world may keep the Salton Sea from drying up by importing water from Mexico.

The Salton Sea Authority is taking steps to set up a memorandum of understanding between public and private groups, and is starting by requesting support at the Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting today.

The general plan is to import water from the Sea of Cortez to stabilize the elevation of the Salton Sea, said Assistant County Executive Officer Andy Horne. A channel would be built between the two to move water.

“This would be a massive undertaking,” he said, adding that it would probably be the largest water project built in the world. … “

Read more from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.

November 24, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Imperial County QSA lawsuit begins in state superior court

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 10, 2009 at 8:49 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

“Imperial County and local farming interests challenged the validity of the Imperial Irrigation District water transfer in California Superior Court in Sacramento on Monday.
Several farmers have questioned whether the IID had the authority to enter into the nation’s largest agricultural-to-urban water transfer.

The QSA allows the transfer of IID water to the San Diego Water Authority, the Metropolitan Water District and the Coachella Valley Water District.

The deal provides mitigation water to the Salton Sea for the first 15 years of the pact. …”

Read more from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.

Groksurf’s San Diego blog has some thoughts and resources – click here.

November 10, 2009 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley, Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Monday’s top of the scroll: QSA Agreement heads back to court: Lawsuit impacts water rights; trial could affect Salton Sea restoration

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 9, 2009 at 8:38 am

Finally, something new for the top of the scroll! From MyDesert.com:

“Another water crisis for California may be looming in Sacramento. This time it’s not a river delta, but in a Sacramento County Superior courtroom.

Potentially at stake: The future of restoration efforts at the dying Salton Sea, and water supplies relied upon by millions of Southern Californians.

After years of legal wrangling and the consolidation of more than a dozen lawsuits, a trial is set to begin today to consider the legality of a 2003 agreement between the federal government, California and four Southern California water agencies.

The Quantification Settlement Agreement was designed to keep the state within its 4.4million acre-feet annual allotment of Colorado River water, and set up the largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer in U.S. history.

Under the deal, the Imperial Irrigation District agreed to send up to 300,000 acre-feet of river water per year for 75 years to the San Diego County Water Authority, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the Coachella Valley Water District. …”

Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.

November 9, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Sunday’s top of the scroll: Save the Salton Sea before it’s too late, says editorial

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 1, 2009 at 8:42 am

Very little news on the pending water legislation this morning – word is, possible vote on Monday… So, for something entirely different this morning, here’s this editorial/article from the Desert Sun (MyDesert.com):

“It’s time for action on the state’s largest lake before it turns into the nation’s biggest toxic dust bowl.

Well-intentioned calls for reclamation need to be augmented with genuine leadership.

According to Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, who chairs the Salton Sea Authority, every year another 600 to 700 acres of sea floor is exposed. As the water level shrinks, the more salty the sea becomes. It will be harder for fish to live, taking away the food supply for tens of thousands of wild birds.

“You can count on your hands the number of years before it becomes a dead sea,” Ashley said.

Six years ago this month, the U.S. secretary of the interior, the state of California, the Coachella Valley Water District, the Imperial Irrigation District and the San Diego County Water Authority struck an agreement for the largest water transfer in history.

The deal was struck under pressure from the federal government for the state to reduce its overuse of Colorado River water. It limits the liability of the Imperial Irrigation District to $113 million, all of which will be spent controlling the environmental harm the water transfer will cause.

It’s not nearly enough.

STATE RESPONSIBILITY

It was widely assumed the Quantification Settlement Agreement that was part of the transfer obligated the state to restore the Salton Sea. However, that issue is still up in the air. A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Sacramento in which lawyers will debate what the legislators intended in 2003.

Regardless of the legal wrangling, California certainly has an obligation to clean up the most serious environmental problem in Southern California. …”

Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.

November 1, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Michael Cohen Commentary: State not meeting Salton Sea responsibilities

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 10, 2009 at 8:35 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune, this commentary by Michael Cohen of the Pacific Institute:

“The Legislature and much of California remain locked in a fight over the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Not so long ago, there was a similar fight over California’s other major water source, the Colorado River.

Six years ago today, Southern California urban and agricultural water agencies signed an historic agreement that reallocated billions of gallons of California’s share of the Colorado River. The agreement, signed in the waning days of Gov. Gray Davis’s administration and in the face of great pressure from the federal government and the other six states that depend upon Colorado River water, implemented the largest transfer of water from farmers to urban users ever seen.

To date, the Imperial Valley has sent nearly a quarter of a million acre-feet of water to San Diego County — enough to meet the annual water demand of 2 million people. San Diego has paid more than $70 million, adjusted for inflation, for this water, and spent almost as much again to transport it. Over the next six years, as the annual transfer volume increases, Imperial will send more than twice as much water to San Diego.

One of the biggest impediments to signing the 2003 agreement was responsibility for impacts to the Salton Sea. The sea, the largest lake in California, boasts the second-highest diversity of bird species in the U.S. and at times feeds and shelters hundreds of thousands of birds. …”

Read more of this commentary by clicking here.

October 10, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

Share Your Thoughts - Post A Comment

Crowds support renovation of North Shore Yacht Club

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 22, 2009 at 6:16 am

From MyDesert.com:

“Nearly 100 people gathered near the edge of the Salton Sea on Monday to celebrate the groundbreaking for the renovation of the historic North Shore Yacht Club Community Center.

The 50-year-old Albert Frey- designed building, considered an architectural treasure, will undergo a $3.5 million renovation. When completed, it will feature a senior center, museum, visitors center, juice bar and multipurpose rooms.

The ceremony was dedicated to former Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson, who died last month.

“This is a historic day for the North Shore community and for the late supervisor,” Riverside County 5th District Supervisor Marion Ashley said during his remarks. “Roy Wilson’s fingerprints are all over it.” …”

Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.

September 22, 2009 · Filed Under Salton Sea

1 Comment