Salton Sea cleanup in jeopardy as states battle over Colorado River water
Colorado rivers
An Associated Press investigation has found that the state of California’s water conservation regulations are out of sync with the state’s water demands and the Colorado River supply, putting the future of the Salton Sea and other water supplies in jeopardy.
An Associated Press investigation has found that the state of California’s water conservation regulations are out of sync with the state’s water demands and the Colorado River supply, putting the future of the Salton Sea and other water supplies in jeopardy.
The Salton Sea is one of the world’s great, salt-wasting lakes. But unlike many other lakes around the world, it’s a freshwater lake that isn’t connected to the Colorado River. If the water in the Salton Sea falls short by a bit, the Salton Sea could eventually dry up because it’s so shallow. A California water regulator proposed a rule Wednesday to protect the Salton Sea and said it needs 60 days to analyze the state’s proposal and write a detailed response.
The Salton Sea is one of the world’s great, salt-wasting lakes. But unlike many other lakes around the world, it’s a freshwater lake that isn’t connected to the Colorado River. If the water in the Salton Sea falls short by a bit, the Salton Sea could eventually dry up because it’s so shallow. A California water regulator proposed a rule Wednesday to protect the Salton Sea and said it needs 60 days to analyze the state’s proposal and write a detailed response.
A group of local environmental groups is concerned that a proposal by the California Department of Water Resources could affect the Salton Sea and other bodies of water around the state.
“It will be devastating to the world’s only known saltwater lake if the state’s proposed rule goes through as expected,” said Lisa Kays, a spokeswoman for the Center for Biological Diversity.
State regulators have proposed an increase in allocations for water use in California to protect the state’s water