Lake Lazarus: the strange rebirth of a Californian ecosystem

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | November 12th, 2018

At the start of the twentieth century, Owens Lake in southern California was one of the largest inland bodies of water in the United States. By the mid-1920s, it was gone

At the start of the twentieth century, Owens Lake in southern California was one of the largest inland bodies of water in the United States. By the mid-1920s, it was gone, drained to provide water to a mushrooming Los Angeles. Over the past 30 years, the city has spent around US$2 billion to undo the damage. It has failed to restore the lake, but in The Spoils of Dust, Alexander Robinson describes how the effort has succeeded in another way: by creating a landscape no less valuable ecologically. By documenting the transitions the lake has undergone, he suggests a way forward for engineers, geologists, ecologists and landscape designers hoping to bring other environments back from the brink.

Land Transitions and Dust in the San Joaquin Valley

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | July 24th, 2022

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires groundwater users to bring their basins into balance over the next two decades. In the San Joaquin Valley, this

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires groundwater users to bring their basins into balance over the next two decades. In the San Joaquin Valley, this will mean taking more than 500,000 acres of agricultural land out of intensive irrigated production. Among other issues, this could potentially lead to air quality impacts if the lands become new sources of dust, especially windblown dust, which can have numerous negative short- and long-term health and environmental impacts. In addition, the changing climate may exacerbate risks as warmer temperatures can dry out soils and increase dust emissions. The overall air quality impact of transitioning agricultural land to new uses is nuanced, but proactive management can help to identify high-risk areas and at-risk communities, and direct effort and funding to the most cost-effective interventions.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 2016 Annual Owens Valley Report

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) | December 1st, 2015

This report includes Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) proposed Owens Valley operations plan for the first six months of the 2016-17 runoff year, an u

This report includes Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) proposed Owens Valley operations plan for the first six months of the 2016-17 runoff year, an update on Owens Valley conditions, the current status of LADWP’s environmental mitigation projects, and the status of other studies, projects, and activities.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 2018 Annual Owens Valley Report

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) | December 1st, 2017

This report includes Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) proposed Owens Valley Operations Plan for the 2018-2019 Runoff Year, an update on Owens Valley

This report includes Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) proposed Owens Valley Operations Plan for the 2018-2019 Runoff Year, an update on Owens Valley conditions, and the current status of LADWP’s environmental mitigation projects and other legal obligations under the Agreement between the County of Inyo and the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power on a Long-Term Groundwater Management Plan for Owens Valley and Inyo County (Water Agreement); the 1991 Environmental Impact Report Water from the Owens Valley to Supply the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, 1970 to 1990, 1990 Onward, Pursuant to a Long Term Groundwater Management Plan (1991 EIR); the Laws Type E transfer; the 1997 Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, County of Inyo, the California Department of Fish and Game, the California State Lands Commission, the Sierra Club, and the Owens Valley Committee (1997 MOU), the August 2004 and March 2010 Amended Stipulations and Orders in Case No. S1CVCV01-29768.

Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | June 17th, 2025

Since 2017, the District has used additional information to attribute PM10 exceedances to specific sources within the Owens Valley Planning Area. This information include

Since 2017, the District has used additional information to attribute PM10 exceedances to specific sources within the Owens Valley Planning Area. This information includes particulate and meteorological data, modeling, cameras, field observations, and media reports of dust storms. These data are compiled into the District’s exceedance database. Based on these data, the District classifies each exceedance as one of the following: 1) dust—primarily on-lake sources, 2) dust—primarily local off-lake sources, 3) dust—primarily regional event, 4) wildfire smoke, or 5) mixed—dust and wildfire sources.

Overview of Management and Restoration Activities in the Salton Sea

Congressional Research Service (CRS) | November 24th, 2013

Efforts to restore the Salton Sea ecosystem have been discussed and initiated through state and federal actions. Several studies by state and federal agencies have provid

Efforts to restore the Salton Sea ecosystem have been discussed and initiated through state and federal actions. Several studies by state and federal agencies have provided baseline data about the Sea, and some restoration plans have been proposed. The State of California, the Salton Sea Authority, and the federal government through the Bureau of Reclamation have devised plans for restoring the Sea. However, none of these plans are being fully implemented. Federal authorities that address restoration of the Salton Sea are generally based on creating and evaluating proposals for restoration, rather than implementing restoration activities in a comprehensive manner similar to other initiatives in the Everglades and Great Lakes. California is pursuing restoration options, but funding for implementing them is lacking. Whether or not to restore the Salton Sea remains controversial. Proponents of restoration contend that the Salton Sea ecosystem is valuable from an ecological standpoint because it is one of the few remaining large-scale wetland habitats in California for migratory birds and fish. Further, some argue that keeping the Salton Sea intact will stimulate economic development, recreation, and tourism in the region. They note that losing the Sea could cause economic and environmental decline, and could lead to air quality problems from exposed seabeds. Others contend that the Sea should not be restored. They argue that the Salton Sea is naturally declining, as it has throughout its geological history. Further, they note that countering this process will be costly and ultimately not worth the expense. They state that limited restoration funds should be used to restore other natural wetlands in California, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. The decline of the Salton Sea ecosystem is accelerating due to water transfers from agricultural lands to municipal water districts in San Diego under the terms of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, an agreement on how to share California’s apportionment of Colorado River water. The water transfers have resulted in less water flowing into the Salton Sea and accelerated increases in salinity and shoreline recession. According to some scientists, salinity levels may reach lethal levels for most fish and wildlife as soon as 2018. These predictions, along with the steadily declining ecosystem might provoke Congress to consider a larger role in restoration for the federal government. Congress may decide to address restoration by increasing the federal role in restoration efforts.  This could be done by funding existing federal authorities that address, or could address, restoring the ecosystem; authorizing federal participation and appropriations for implementing existing restoration plans; or authorizing a new comprehensive plan to be created that might involve participation from federal and non-federal stakeholders, similar to other restoration initiatives around the country. Congress might also decide not to address restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem, or simply maintain the status quo of federal participation.

Potential Impacts of Reduced Inflows to the Salton Sea: Forecasting Non-market Damages

American Water Resources Association (AWRA) | September 28th, 2022

Quantification Settlement Agreement and Related Agreements and Documents to which Southern California Agencies are Signatories

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | October 10th, 2003

Report on Salton Sea Projects

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | April 8th, 2016

Formed in 1905 when Colorado River flood waters breached an irrigation diversion structure and caused the river to temporarily flow into the then-dry Salton Sink, todayâ€

Formed in 1905 when Colorado River flood waters breached an irrigation diversion structure and caused the river to temporarily flow into the then-dry Salton Sink, today’s Salton Sea is only the latest in a long succession of waterbodies to occupy the area. At 350 square miles, California’s largest lake is hydrologically connected to the Colorado River system and has been largely maintained since the 1905 event by irrigation water from agricultural production in the Imperial Valley. The historic Quantification Settlement Agreement (2003) provided California the means to implement water transfers and supply programs that allowed the state to live within its 4.4 million acre-foot basic annual apportionment of Colorado River water. Though long plagued by problems associated with its terminality—and resultant accumulation of salts, nutrients, and other impurities—the water transfers contained in the QSA meant a hastening of its ecological decline. Mitigation waters were provided for the Sea in the agreement, but are set to expire in 2017.  In response to growing concern about the impending and current deterioration of conditions at the Salton Sea, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in May 2015 created the Salton Sea Task Force to rapidly evaluate and take action to bring certainty to the Sea’s future and develop a series of findings that would guide further action at the lake. To coordinate and facilitate the actions the Governor also created the position of Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy within the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA).  The Salton Sea Task Force issued their findings in November 2015, which called for the development of a Salton Sea Management Program that covered three major elements: sustainable habitat; air quality and potential private sector energy development. The Task Force also acknowledged that a successful program depends on the following three principles: 1) strong state, federal, and local partnerships; 2) clear and achievable milestones with state directed plans to achieve them; and 3) committed participation from all stakeholders who share the goals of protecting air quality, reducing habitat impacts, and maintaining a secure Colorado River Water Supply. Task Force findings also contained a series of actions for implementation by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) that included the development of a Salton Sea Management Plan with short and midterm goals for habitat and dust suppression projects, an improved public awareness and local partnerships program and an accelerated implementation of planning, permitting and construction. 

Salton Sea Exceedances of California’s Air-Quality Standards Highlight Governance Gaps and Monitoring Needs

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | September 4th, 2025

The Salton Sea region is known for its poor air-quality, which is often linked to dust and contributes to alarmingly high rates of respiratory problems among residents. H

The Salton Sea region is known for its poor air-quality, which is often linked to dust and contributes to alarmingly high rates of respiratory problems among residents. However, air-quality issues extend beyond dust. Residents also face the distressing reality of frequent hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions. Depending on individual experiences, these emissions can range from uncomfortable to severely suffocating. To gauge the severity of these concerns, the Salton Sea Environmental Timeseries (SSET), a community-based research group, recently installed two hydrogen sulfide monitors in the area. Their data indicates that H₂S emissions consistently exceed the California Air Resources Board state standard of 30 parts per billion (ppb), with 243 hours above this threshold recorded between May and September 2024 alone. Existing government air-quality monitors, located north of the Salton Sea, primarily detect H₂S only when winds blow from the southeast, whereas SSET data show elevated emissions occur regardless of wind direction. This highlights a critical gap in the current government monitoring network, which fails to capture the full scope of H₂S pollution. As more data highlight connections between water and air-quality, it is crucial to monitor air-quality in all its aspects, not just those related to dust. The Salton Sea region has a predominantly low-income Latinx, immigrant, and Indigenous population across two California counties. The persistent issue of hydrogen sulfide pollution serves as a clear example of environmental injustice. For over two decades, the state and federal governments have been legally obligated to restore the Salton Sea—meeting that obligation today means pairing public health action with robust monitoring.