Background

History of the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, is located in southern California and intersects Southern Riverside and the Northern Imperial counties. The present-day Salton Sea is a man-made lake that accidentally formed in 1905 when floodwaters breached an irrigation canal from the Colorado River meant to support Imperial County’s agricultural sector. Instead of evaporating, the Salton Sea has been sustained by agricultural runoff, or excess water that flows over farmland, from the Imperial and Coachella valleys. Historically, spillovers from the Colorado River have created several naturally-occurring lakes in the present-day Salton Sea, creating intervals of wet and dry periods in the lakebed. 

Why is the Salton Sea Drying Up Today?

Recently, the Salton Sea has been shrinking, losing as much as one-third of its water in the last 25 years. Unprecedented heat and a 26-year drought are contributing to declining water flows in the Colorado River, which sustains the Salton Sea in addition to agricultural runoff from neighboring valleys. Overallocation of the Colorado River’s water to seven states and Mexico is also resulting in the Salton Sea’s depletion. Allocation rights, or agreements about who can use a given natural resource, were created in 1922 for the Colorado River when water flow estimates were greatly overestimated. Water flows continue to decline as a result of climate change. These rights essentially guarantee 16.5 million-acre feet (MAF) of water annually among the seven states and Mexico, but the average flow of water from the Colorado River between 2000 and 2023 was 12.5 MAF, signaling the overallocation of water and negative impacts of climate change.

Why is a Shrinking Lakebed Concerning?

The Salton Sea is coated in heavy metals and toxic chemicals that have accumulated from agricultural runoff from the Imperial and Coachella valleys. As the lake dries up, the toxic water becomes dust that blows into neighboring communities, contributing to health and respiratory problems. Additionally, while most fish have been eradicated due to the lakebed’s extraordinarily high concentration of salt, the Salton Sea also serves as a critical aquatic habitat for over 400 different species of migrating birds who use the lakebed as a place to stop, rest, and eat. 

The Competing Interests of the Salton Sea

Amid record-breaking dry seasons and overallocation of the Colorado River, the future of the Salton Sea is contested by health, conservation, and economic interests. The Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP), a collaboration that began in 2021 between three California state agencies, represents a comprehensive 10-year plan with the goal of addressing the Salton Sea’s negative impacts on air quality from dust emissions and restoring the ecological health of the environment that wildlife depend on. 

Although health and ecological initiatives under the SSMP are underway, private firms are interested in capitalizing on the Salton Sea’s economic potential. The Salton Sea sits atop the fifth-largest lithium deposit in the world, making it an attractive site for lithium extraction and renewable geothermal energy projects, which use subsurface heat to generate energy. Hell’s Kitchen, the company taking the lead in lithium extraction and geothermal projects in the Salton Sea, had its environmental impact report (EIR) approved on January 23, 2024, by the Imperial County government. Under California law, an EIR must be submitted detailing the potential, significant environmental effects of proposed projects. However, Comite Civico del Valle (CCV), a local nonprofit based in Imperial County, appealed Imperial County’s decision to approve the lithium and geothermal projects, claiming Hell’s Kitchen’s EIR does not properly address environmental risks from their projects. How economic interests are balanced against ongoing health and ecological restoration initiatives will determine the effectiveness of the SSMP’s goals and whether communities most affected by the Salton Sea see meaningful change.

Health and Conservation Concerns in the Salton Sea

Studies examining the direct health impacts of prolonged dust and particulate matter exposure near the Salton Sea show that local communities are at greater risk for respiratory issues. Prolonged exposure to dust in the Salton Sea has been associated with reduced lung function in children. Higher levels of particulate matter exposure in the area are also linked to elevated risk for asthma, wheezing, and other respiratory issues. During intense dust storms, air quality index scores monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reach as high as 659 on the western shore of the Salton Sea. This is well above scores of 150 and 300 that are considered unhealthy and hazardous, respectively. 

These health burdens have fallen disproportionately on the Salton Sea’s predominantly low-income and Latino communities, highlighting environmental justice concerns.

The aquatic ecosystem of the Salton Sea has also been deteriorating since the late 1900s. Rising salinity levels from Colorado River water flows and nutrient-rich fertilizers from agricultural runoff are responsible for the ecosystem’s large-scale fish die-offs. Consequently, the Salton Sea has become less habitable for fish-eating birds like pelicans. Despite this, the Salton Sea still provides a critical habitat for migrating and ground-nesting birds.

In an effort to minimize the negative health and ecological impacts of a shrinking lakebed, the SSMP is aiming to construct 30,000 acres of habitat and dust-suppression projects around the Salton Sea. At least 14,900 acres will be dedicated to aquatic habitat restoration projects that will create pond or wetland habitats for fish and wildlife. Work began in 2021 with the ongoing Species Conservation Habitat Project, which will create a network of ponds, raised banks that are known as berms, nesting and loafing islands, and water delivery systems spanning more than 9,000 acres to support fish and bird populations. While this is primarily an ecological restoration initiative, it also provides a secondary benefit of suppressing toxic dust from the Salton Sea. Initiatives specifically targeting dust suppression include vegetation restoration or the creation of freshwater wetlands on exposed regions of the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea Conservancy, a state agency launched in 2026, will oversee the long-term suitability of projects being built to achieve the state’s goals, including projects underway as part of the SSMP. California Governor Newsom has cited the Salton Sea Conservancy and ongoing efforts as critical steps towards “advanc[ing] cleaner air, protect[ing] public health, restor[ing] critical ecosystems” and creating opportunities for local communities.

Economic Interests in the Salton Sea: Lithium Mining and Geothermal Energy

With the aim of revitalizing the Salton Sea’s local economy, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved Hell’s Kitchen lithium and geothermal project and its environmental impact report (EIR) on January 23, 2024, detailing the environmental impact of the projects the company is pursuing. Imperial County officials are optimistic these efforts could create 500+ jobs, strengthen partnerships between universities interested in lithium and geothermal energy, and provide career training to college students.

Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) has cited concerns with the EIR provided by Hell’s Kitchen. In collaboration with Earthworks, a nonprofit focused on mineral and energy development, CCV filed a lawsuit claiming Imperial County officials are overlooking the environmental and health impacts of the proposed projects, ignoring expert input, and failing to consult local and Indigenous groups. The lawsuit emphasizes that the EIR provided by Hell’s Kitchen only evaluates water availability for the next 20-30 years despite the project being designed to operate for 50 years. It is also important to note that lithium and geothermal projects are extremely water-intensive. Thus, the lawsuit also charges county officials with overlooking competing water interests from other lithium and geothermal projects, further straining the county’s water reservoirs. There are also concerns that the lithium and geothermal projects could worsen toxic dust emissions from the Salton Sea. 

Imperial County officials have argued that CCV and Earthworks are mischaracterizing the review process, public hearings, and consultation with stakeholders and agencies to portray them as inattentive to environmental concerns. Officials also blame the litigation for delaying the economic benefits the projects could have brought to the Salton Sea region if not for the litigation, including jobs, infrastructure, and environmental restoration projects funded by a tax on lithium mining in the area.

Local communities near the Salton Sea are not opposed to the development of lithium and geothermal energy projects in the region. CCV recognizes that the projects could revitalize the Salton Sea community with millions of dollars and thousands of new jobs. However, the nonprofit stresses that community participation and involvement should be a key factor in decision-making to ensure local issues, such as pollution by the Salton Sea, are addressed.

Conclusion & Future Outlook

A decision is expected to be made sometime in 2026 in the litigation between CCV, Earthworks, and Imperial County. Should a ruling be issued against Imperial County, Hell’s Kitchen will be forced to revisit their EIR to meet stronger environmental standards, which could disrupt the construction timeline for their lithium and geothermal energy projects. In the meantime, Hell’s Kitchen is allowed to proceed with their projects since the lawsuit does not seek to stop on-ground work.

Amid ongoing litigation, California has made strides under its SSMP, with 750 acres of the Salton Sea’s East Pond having been recently filled. This marks the beginning of the Species Conservation Habitat Project under the SSMP, which will span more than 9,000 acres of habitat once complete. Audubon California, a nonprofit dedicated to bird conservation, applauded progress made, stating “This is a big day for the many thousands of birds that call the Salton Sea home, as well as the nearby communities seeking relief from the unhealthy dust kicked up from exposed playa.”

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