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Salton Sea Programs update
presentation to the USCID conference
San Diego
Graeme R. Donaldson
Program Manager Salton Sea Initiative
May 19, 2016

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Salton Sea Activities Overview
• Legislative/state agencies status and update
• Restoration proposals
 SSWIFT plan (development funded by SSA, but not adopted)
 Salton Sea Restoration & Renewable Energy Initiative (IID/IC)
• Near-term projects
 Red Hill Bay Project (RHB)
 Species Conservation Habitat (SCH)
 Salton Seawater Marine Habitat Pilot Project (MHPP)
 IID Backbone Infrastructure Project development

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Salton Sea activities
 June, 2002 – Salton Sea legislation giving state responsibility for restoration under the QSA by 2017.
 November 18, 2014 – IID submits a Petition to the State Water Resources Control Board requesting it
exercise its continuing authority over the water transfers to ensure the state of California live up to its
Salton Sea restoration obligation in order to avoid devastating air quality and habitat impacts.
 March 18, 2015 – SWRCB holds Salton Sea workshop.
 May 2015 – Governor establishes Salton Sea Task Force that includes CNRA, CDWR, CDFW, CEC,
CARB, EPA and SWRCB.
 September 2015 – Governor appoints Bruce Wilcox assistant secretary for Salton Sea policy.
 October 9, 2015 – AB1095 (Garcia) signed into law by Governor Brown.
 The Salton Sea Restoration Act requires the Secretary of the CNRA in consultation and coordination with Salton Sea
Authority (SSA), to lead Salton Sea Restoration efforts.
 The Act will require on or before March 31, 2016 the CNRA to submit to legislature a list of “shovel ready” Salton
Sea restoration projects.
 January 4, 2016 – IID Board of Directors approve on a 5-0 vote the initiation of Backbone infrastructure
project, phase #1.
 January 5, 2016 – State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) held public workshop to receive
updates from (CNRA/CRRWQCB/CARB/CEC) & public comment re: Task Force actions.
 March 31, 2016 – AB1095 deadline for CNRA to submit to legislature a list of “shovel ready” Salton
Sea restoration projects. Most important will be the backbone infrastructure implementation.
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Salton Sea Task Force Agency Actions
• Begin immediate implementation and further development
of Salton Sea management plan
• Improve public outreach and local partnership
• Accelerate project implementation and delivery
• Meet a short-term (2016-2018) goal of 9,000-12,000 acres of
habitat creation and dust suppression projects at the sea
• Set medium-term (2019-2023) goal of 18,000-25,000 acres
of habitat creation and dust suppression projects at the sea
Ensure Oversight by Regulatory Agencies
• Consider opportunities for increasing renewable energy
development at and around the Salton Sea in the KGRA
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SSWIFT Lake Concept (SSA)
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SSRREI proposal (IID/IC)
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SSRREI Goals
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IID Grant Projects

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Red Hill Bay Project
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Aerial View of Red Hill Bay Restoration Site
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The US Fish and Wildlife
Service, in partnership with
the Imperial Irrigation District,
intends to restore the habitat
values of the Red Hill Bay
with blended water from the
Salton Sea and nearby drain
water from the Alamo River.
Red Hill Bay is located on the
southeast shore of the Salton
Sea and is part of the Sonny
Bono Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge.

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Red Hill Bay Shallow Water Habitat: USFWS partnered with IID
Project Description: 640 acre Shallow shorebird habitat created by building
low berms and mixing pumped Alamo River water & pumped Salton Sea water.
Project Summary:
 Grant - $150K USFWS/IID MOU; $1,194,154 – to pay for design
FAP Grant to USFWS – Design, Power and start of construction
$1.850 mils WCB Grant-IID balance of project– to award in June 2016
 Permitting – All environmental permitting is complete
 Schedule – February/March 2016: Contracted with firm for design of project
and pumping station. Winter 2016 Q3 Construction
 Budget – Total cost of project: $3,506,914
USFWS/IID in-kind service: $462,760
Grants:$3,044,154
 Next Steps – Contract with firm for Design/Engineering Q2 already executed.
RFP out for project construction and finalize vendor Q3 2016.
Finalize lease agreement and issue water authorization.
Commence project main construction November-2016 (12-month)

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Species Conservation Habitat phase #1 (640-acres)

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Ariel photograph of Species Conservation Habitat phase #1 640-acres

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Ariel photograph of Species Conservation Habitat

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Species Conservation Habitat Future phase up to 3,100-acres
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State of California Species Conservation Habitat: CDFW/DWR and IID
Project Summary:
 Grant - $3.3 mil WCB Grant for electrical power & construction management
$27 mil WCB for project Construction – will awarded in Q2 2016
 Permitting – All environmental permitting is complete
 Schedule – December 2015: Clearing & Grubbing for power completed.
January/March 2016: Powerlines installation completed
Q3 2016 selection of main project contractor.
Q3/Q4 2016 commencement of project construction.
 Budget – Total cost of project: $30,315,000
Powerline/Construction Management - $3.3 mils
Construction - $27mils
 Next Steps – RFP out for project construction and finalize vendor.
Finalize lease agreement with the State.
State to construct the phase #1 project with IID support Q2 2017
Project Description: Construction of 640 acres of fish habitat on IID land with a
mixture of pumped New River water and pumped Salton Sea water. IID: construction
management, powerline construction and main project management.

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Salton Seawater Marine Habitat Pilot Project (MHPP)
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Salton Sea Marine Habitat Pilot Project: Sephton Technologies and IID
Project Summary:
 Grant - $693 FAP Grant to IID/Sephton Technologies (SWT).
$98K BOR grant for construction
 Permitting – Environmental permitting in draft form inclusive of CEQA document.
 Schedule - 2016 Completion of all CEQA and local permitting.
2016 selection of main project contractor.
2016-2018 expected project construction period.
 Budget – Total cost of project: $2,45 mils
FAP Grant funds - $693K
BOR Grant fund - $98K
SWT/IID in-kind services - $610K
Remaining funding to come from WCB:$1.049 mils.
 Next Steps – Finalize CEQA documentation & circulate public comment and
peer review by agencies.
Project Description: Construction of a ¼ acre salinity-gradient solar pond to
generate energy needed to run a vertical tube evaporator that creates distilled water
for an adjacent ¼ acre diving bird habitat pond.

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Salton Sea Backbone Infrastructure
What is it?
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Background & Goals
• State has been slow to initiate Salton Sea restoration projects.
• Develop the infrastructure required to collect, store, manage
and release IID drainage water to accommodate future uses
leading to and onto the Salton Sea playa including:
 Uses by IID consistent with its core water delivery and drainage
functions.
 Uses by the State of California to fulfill its obligations related to or
consistent with the restoration of the Salton Sea.
 Uses by other public and private entities related to and consistent
with the restoration of the Salton Sea.
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Project Objectives
• Enable and ensure continued functionality of IID’s drains, including
existing and anticipated operations and maintenance of the system.
• Reconfigure the existing IID drainage system to the extent required to
incorporate the backbone infrastructure facilities and functions.
• Incorporate flexibility and durability into the reconfigured IID drainage
system to accommodate anticipated fluctuations in drainage flows and
incremental development of restoration and other uses over time.
• Provide water of sufficient quality to protect existing infrastructure and
support identified uses, including specific habitats.
• Design infrastructure to minimize effects on species of fish and wildlife
dependent on the Salton Sea and promote habitat where possible.
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Salton Sea Backbone Infrastructure Project
(Phase #1)
 Define (goals, objectives, purpose and needs)
 Design (up to approximately 15% to 20%)
 Engineer (up to approximately 15% to 20%)
 Permitting strategy to be defined and worked out jointly
with both State and Federal agencies.
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Intended Scope (phase #1 Jan-Jun 2016)
• Develop Backbone Infrastructure
 a) definition, b) purpose, c) limitations, d) uses
• Develop goals, objectives and metrics
• Develop conceptual designs and operations and linkages
to other projects. Feasibility analysis to complete
• Develop compliance plans
• Develop NEPA/CEQA and 404 alternatives jointly with the
State and Feds. Maximizing components of permits
already in place from other habitat projects in the vicinity.
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Water Management Backbone
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Water Management
• Allows for all current and required uses
• Manages IID water and land efficiently
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• The Salton Sea is shrinking
• Salt and contaminant laden lakebed is exposed
• Salt dust blows onto farms and communities
An Urgent Local ProblemAn Urgent Local Problem
 The Salton Sea is shrinking
 Salt and contaminant laden lakebed is exposed
 Salt dust blows onto farms and communities

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Land
Owners
of Playa
to be
Exposed
Orange: IID
Green: Federal
(USBR)
These lands will be
exposed when the Sea
gets 25 ft below its
current level

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The Salt Dust Storms have already begun

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Playa exposed in 2010-2011 with salt dust

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Salt dust blowing East off Red Hill bay

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The wind picks up, blowing dust off Red Hill bay

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The Source of the Problem
 Reduced Sea inflows due to Water Transfers

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The Related Problem
 Salinity rises until the Salton Sea is a Dead Sea

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SALINITYTOLERANCES
Tilapia survival
Emergent vegetation
Mosquito control Mosquitoes
Survive
SUPPRESS MOST VEGETATION
Selenium Loading
OPTIMAL SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION
SCH OPERATIONS
Salinity in Ponds
0 ppt 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Cardno/ENTRIX 2011
LESS RISKMORE RISK
MOSQUITO SUPPRESSION
Salinity Constraints and Thresholds
California Department of Water Resources

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Questions?
Please contact Graeme Donaldson Cell # 760 457 6565,
or e-mail GrDonaldson@iid.com