Governor Newsom launches first new conservancy in 15 years to accelerate progress at the Salton Sea 

““State agencies and our partners are delivering real progress on the ground,” said California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. “Long-planned projects are now getting built that improve air quality, protect local communities, and restore critical habitat— and the Salton Sea Conservancy will keep this work moving forward. By guiding long-term stewardship of these projects, the Conservancy allows our state agency to stay focused on what comes next: more projects to protect communities, restore habitat and deliver real results for the people who live here.” 

The Salton Sea, California’s largest inland water body, has shrunk in recent years due to reduced inflows, exposing a lakebed that could release small dust particles that exacerbate air quality challenges in the Imperial Valley. The reduced water levels and increased salinity also negatively impact habitat for wildlife, including millions of birds traveling the Pacific flyway.

A year ago, the state began filling the first major habitat expansion restoration project at the Salton Sea with water covering approximately three square miles, or about four times the size of Disneyland. This work resulted in thousands of fish and birds using the new habitat within months. 

The Conservancy’s purpose is to support the operation and maintenance of projects like this, helping ensure these investments continue to deliver long-term environmental and public health benefits, including reducing harmful dust from the exposed lakebed and restoring critical wildlife habitat.  

“As the state tackles the enormous challenges at the Salton Sea, local representatives need to be at the table when project priorities and funding decisions are being made,” said Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). “This state conservancy, the first in nearly two decades, will give local communities an important role in guiding the Sea’s future.”

“I am honored to join the Salton Sea Conservancy at such a critical moment for our region,” said Silvia Paz, Executive Director of Alianza Coachella Valley. “For too long, the communities most impacted by the Salton Sea’s decline – such as families dealing with air pollution, children with asthma, residents who have watched this sea shrink before their eyes – have felt the weight of delayed action. The Conservancy gives us the structure to change that. By bringing together the right partners around shared priorities, we can finally align resources, cut through the fragmentation that has slowed progress, and advance real, lasting solutions for the people who need them most. I look forward to the work ahead.”

“The Salton Sea Conservancy’s creation is a historic moment for this region,” said Gina Dockstader, Imperial Irrigation District Director. “Imperial Irrigation District is proud of its collaboration with state and federal officials to support hundreds of millions of dollars for projects that are restoring habitat and suppressing dust at the Salton Sea, and looks forward to working with the Conservancy’s members to ensure the long-term benefits of these projects for Salton Sea communities.”