The Salton Sea is located in southern California and is considered the largest inland water body in the state ( Figure 1 ). The Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when a levee break allowed water to flow into the Salton Basin from the Colorado River uninterrupted for 18 months. The proposed water transfers would have diverted agricultural water from farms in the Imperial Valley to San Diego and the Coachella Valley. This was expected to result in less water flowing into the Salton Sea, which some scientists predict would have increased the rate of evaporation in the Sea so that salinity levels would be lethal to most fish and wildlife in less than 10 years. On September 12, 2003, the State of California enacted three bills that contain provisions that would allocate an estimated $300 million for restoring the Salton Sea. Background

The Salton Basin, where the Salton Sea is located, has supported many lakes and water bodies throughout its geological history. In the past few decades the focus of activities concerning the Sea has been on the environmental problems it faces. DDE, which is derived from DDT, is also found in waters of the Sea. The salinity of the Sea has been increasing over time. The cause of mortality in these events was largely attributed to microbes that lead to disease in birds. Indeed, some policymakers assert that the presence of endangered species in the Sea obligates the federal government to restore the Sea and designate it as a useful water body. Restoration Activities in the Salton Sea

Some of the ecological problems in the Salton Sea were foreseen by scientists in the 1960s who noted that salinity in the Sea was increasing at a rate that would eventually render the Sea inhabitable for fish and wildlife. Federal efforts to restore the Salton Sea were amplified with the passage of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (Title XI, §1101 of P.L. 102-575 ). The act directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct research to develop plans to control salinity levels, provide habitat to endangered species, enhance fisheries, and protect recreational values in the Salton Sea. 105-372 ). This act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility studies and economic analyses of various options for restoring the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea Authority is a "joint powers" agency chartered by the State of California to ensure the beneficial uses of the Salton Sea, such as maintaining the Sea as an agricultural drainage reservoir, restoring the wildlife resources and habitats around and in the Sea, stimulating recreational use, and providing an environment for economic development around the Sea. This plan is now under review by the California Department of Water Resources. Some proponents for restoring the Sea base their arguments on the value of the Salton Sea as one of the few remaining habitats in the region for migratory birds and other fish and wildlife. Some critics also argue that salinity levels will increase in the Sea despite restoration attempts, especially if water inflows to the Sea are reduced by water transfers or other diversions. Further, some argue that the high cost of restoration and the scientific uncertainty of the restoration proposals do not warrant the expenditure of federal funds.
The Salton Basin in southern California has supported many lakes and water bodies throughout its geological history. The most recent inland water body in the Basin is the Salton Sea, which was created from a levee break in 1905. The Salton Sea is the largest inland water body in California. In the past several decades the salinity of the Sea has been increasing, and is now considered a significant threat to the health of the current Salton Sea ecosystem. Ecosystem changes in the Sea were exemplified by several large die-offs of fish and birds that inhabit the Sea. Some of these events included endangered species such as the brown pelican.
The Sea receives most of its water from agricultural drainage originating in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys in California. When water transfers from agricultural lands in these valleys to municipal water districts in San Diego were proposed to reduce California's reliance on water from the Colorado River, concerns about the environmental impacts of these transfers on the Sea surfaced. The proposed water transfers would have resulted in less water flowing into the Salton Sea, which according to some scientists would increase the rate of evaporation in the Sea so that salinity levels would be lethal to most fish and wildlife in less than 10 years.
Interest in restoring the Salton Sea was evident before its role in water transfers was realized. Several studies were done by state and federal agencies to determine baseline data about the Sea and potential management regimes for restoring the Sea. Federal efforts to study the Sea were amplified with the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (Title XI of P.L. 102-575), which authorizes research to develop plans to control salinity, provide habitat to endangered species, enhance fisheries, and protect recreational values in the Salton Sea. Federal restoration efforts were formally initiated by The Salton Sea Recovery Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-372). This act authorizes feasibility studies and economic analyses of various options for restoring the Salton Sea. Prospects for funding restoration in the Sea improved when legislation containing provisions that would allocate an estimated $300 million for restoring the Salton Sea was enacted by the State of California.
Whether or not to restore the Salton Sea remains controversial. Some who favor restoration argue that the value of the Sea is high because it is one of the remaining wetland habitats in the region for migratory birds, fish, and wildlife. Further, some argue that the Sea has potential for economic development, recreation, and tourism. Some against restoring the Sea believe that the Sea is destined to evaporate similar to the water bodies in the Salton Basin that preceded it (i.e., that the Sea is a lake in natural decline). In addition, some critics suggest that the Sea is too expensive to restore, and scientifically sound plans for restoration are not available.
This report provides a summary of management and restoration events in the Salton Sea and will be updated as developments warrant.