Imperial Valley Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia Highlights The Shrinking Salton Sea

Monday, March 20, 2017

Photo credit: Associated Press

Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, urges lawmakers to approve his measure to place a $3 billion bond measure on the November ballot that would pay for improvements at state and local parks, June 23, 2016. The Assembly approved the measure on a 55-14 vote sending it to the Senate.

Aired 3/20/17 on KPBS Midday Edition

Imperial Valley Assemblyman Garcia Highlights The Shrinking Salton Sea

GUEST:

Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella

PHOTO GALLERY

Salton Sea Tour

State lawmakers and state agency representatives toured the Salton Sea area on the same day a 10-year management plan was released for the sea.

Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia was one of the hosts of a tour of the Salton Sea area for state lawmakers and representatives of state agencies on Thursday — the same day the state released a 10-year management plan for the sea.

The sea is the state's largest lake and is located in Imperial and Riverside counties. The lake is shrinking and thus exposing playa or lakebed, which becomes airborne dust when the wind blows.

The 10-year Salton Sea management plan lays out a timeline for building habitat on exposed playa and for dust suppression projects. The plan is expected to cost $383 million. About $300 million of it is not yet funded.

Under a long-standing water transfer agreement the water district in Imperial County, the Imperial Irrigation District, puts mitigation water in the sea. This is going to end at the end of the year, thus speeding up the shrinking of the sea.

Assemblyman Garcia spoke to Midday Edition while on the tour of the Salton Sea, that interview will air on Monday.

FEATURED PODCAST

KPBS' daily news podcast covering local politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings so you can listen on your morning commute.