Now that the State of CA has an EIR to support a Preferred Alternative for restoring the Salton SO WHAT NEXT?

Transcription

1 Now that the State of CA has an EIR to support a Preferred Alternative for restoring the Salton Sea SO WHAT NEXT?

2 Statewide fiscal stress Legislature has not appropriated funding No Financing Plan for restoration No current governance structure for overall restoration

3 Evaporation continues to outpace inflow Salton Sea salinity continues to rise steadily Mitigation water, as prescribed in the Quantification Settlement Agreement, terminates in 2017 Salinity will ramp up quickly

4 Simulated Salinity (ppm) Simulated Elevation (ft) 300, QSA Mitigation Water Ends 250,000 Simulated Salinity , , ,000 Tilapia gone >60,000 ppm ,000 53,000 ppm Current Salinity Simulated Elevation Year

5 NEAR TERM Fish die offs Piscivorous birds disappear SCH Worsening air quality LONGER TERM Loss of aquatic invertebrates over time Subsequent loss of invert-eating birds Multiple cascading ecological consequences

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7 California Natural Resources Agency California Department of Water Resources California Department of Fish and Game

8 aka Saline habitat complex/early Start No regrets habitat conservation Proof of Concept GOALS Develop aquatic habitats with a range of salinities Learn how to do it better through Adaptive Management

9 Project planning Project design Air and water quality monitoring Technical analyses, modeling, field studies Environmental review (EIR/EIS) Permitting

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14 Soil contaminants vs construction vs water quality impacts Temperature and salinity affects on fish Nutrient sources and sinks: algae production Balancing hydrologic and chemical mass balance input to achieve salinity/biological targets Se ecorisk analysis Phytoremediation of Se input

15 University of California at Berkeley University of California at Riverside USGS: Salton Sea Science Office CA Department of Fish and Game

16 Air Quality Hydrology Hydrodynamics Climate Change Water Quality Fish Life History/Survival Tolerances Environmental Risk Assessment

17 SALINITY TOLERANCES SCH OPERATIONS Salinity in Ponds 0 ppt Tilapia survival OPTIMAL SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION Emergent vegetation SUPRESS MOST VEGETATION Selenium Loading MORE RISK LESS RISK Mosquito control Mosquitoes Survive MOSQUITO SUPPRESSION Cardno/ENTRIX 2011

18 Adapt, Learn Decision-making framework, communications Plan Goals and objectives, alternatives Design Physical designs, operations plan Evaluate Analysis, data management Monitoring Water quality, fish and birds, selenium Implement Construct and operate ponds

19 Constructing water containment berms Pumping saline water from the Sea

20 Are we having fun yet?

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22 Developed six alternatives Developed extensive geotechnical and scientific knowledge Finishing an EIS/EIR Prepared permit applications Refined design components Active coordination of science and project management

23 We can have confidence in concept based on ecological models developed Miles et al (2009) Proposed site conditions are more challenging than originally believed Construction will cost more than anticipated Providing electrical infrastructure is logistically complex There are opportunities for project partnerships and cost-sharing Locals want these kinds of projects

24 Project Performance Metrics Adaptive Management Plan Incorporate Monitoring and Assessment Plan

25 Lots of competition for limited State funding Unresolved strategy for moving future restoration planning/implementation forward Frequent confusion and misinformation Multiple interests pushing the process Salton Sea stakeholders feel under represented Other large, Statewide regional issues compete for attention and funding

26 Science: USGS Salton Sea Science Office USFWS USBR UC Berkeley UC Riverside CA Dept of Fish and Game Cardno/ENTRIX, CH2MHill Engineering: Ducks Unlimited Cardno/ENTRIX CA DWR Hultgren-Tillis Engineers Local Partners: Imperial Irrigation District CA Farm Bureau Defenders of Wildlife Audubon Society Pacific Institute

27 DWR Program Manager Kent Nelson Salton Sea Website