Imperial Valley

A decade ago, my comadre told me the Salton Sea was drying, releasing toxic dust that could turn the Imperial Valley into a ghost town.

Farmers in the Imperial Valley and other parts of Southern California have in recent years agreed to leave some fields dry temporarily to help conserve Colorado River water in exchange for cash payments.

The lake has since been sustained by water draining off farms in the Imperial Valley, but it has been shrinking since the early 2000s, when the Imperial Irrigation District began selling a portion of its Colorado River water to growing urban areas under an agreement with agencies in San Diego County and the Coachella Valley.

As part of the 2003 deal that transferred some of the Imperial Valley’s water to cities, California officials promised leaders in Imperial County that the state would take responsibility for dealing with the environmental problems at the Salton Sea that would result from the water transfer agreement.

A mix of saltwater from the lake and freshwater from the New River — which takes in agricultural runoff from the Imperial Valley and wastewater from Mexico — is being pumped to the wetlands, which feature constructed ponds, islands and berms.