Executive Summary
THE CASCADE ALTERNATIVE
Presented by: The Salton Sea Restoration Consortium
The following information has been released by the Imperial Group, whose members are agricultural landowners in the Imperial Valley. The Imperial Group is part of the Salton Sea Restoration Consortium which is made up of landowners and experts in water management and environmental issues.
CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST LAKE
The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. Created in 1905 by an accidental break in a Colorado River dike, it covers a surface area of 375 square miles and it is situated more than 227 feet below sea level.
Its shoreline touches both Imperial and Riverside Counties.
Its principal source of water is agricultural runoff from the Colorado River basin. Because there is no outlet for the water, salts and other chemicals carried by the runoff into the lake become concentrated as the water evaporates. The Salton Sea is presently 25 percent saltier than ocean water.
A DETERIORATING ENVIRONMENT
Since its accidental formation nearly a hundred years ago, the Salton Sea has become an important recreational and environmental resource. But the deterioration of the water volume and quality is reducing its appeal for recreation and its ability to provide habitat for birds, animals and fish.
The decline of the Sea's environment is being accelerated by the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) which reduces the amount of water allocated for agriculture in the Imperial Valley. That, in turn, reduces the runoff that sustains the lake. Reduced runoff results in further deterioration of the Sea.
The death of the Salton Sea has many other negative impacts including declining air quality, reduced aesthetic appeals and decreased land value.
Objectives for the plan include stabilization, restoration, reclamation, enhancement, protection and overall improvement of the Sea's environment and resources. Restoration of the Salton Sea will have positive impacts on Imperial County's economy and quality of life.
THE CHALLENGE OF RESTORATION
Restoration of the Salton Sea involves two interconnected issues: water quality and water quantity. The issue of quality is based on efforts to reduce the lake's salinity and the presence of other chemicals. Decreasing quantities of water compound the problems of water quality.
Extensive analysis of the problems and potential solutions has been initiated. The Salton Sea Authority (SSA) developed four alternatives for saving the lake. The alternative favored by the SSA is called "The North Lake" plan, which involves a high dam separating the Salton Sea into two bodies of water. This plan creates a lake on the north side of the dam and a brine pond on the south side.
The CASCADE PLAN
The Imperial Group studied the SSA's alternatives and determined that serious difficulties would make the North Lake plan virtually impossible to implement.
Drawing on the work that had been done, The Imperial Group joined forces with companies that are experts in water management and waterfront land-use planning. The participants include the Dutra Group of San Rafael, CA www.dutragroup.com and Bean Stuyvesant of New Orleans, LA. www.cfbean.com. As an America/Dutch joint venture, Bean Stuyvesant has access to the experience of European companies with special skills in large-scale water-management projects.
The group produced what is being called "The Cascade Plan." The plan surpasses the other alternatives in its ability to meet the objectives of Salton Sea restoration. The plan uses a series of relatively low, concentric dikes that create terraces of wetlands, ponds, marine lakes, bird, fish, and animal habitat, and land for development.
The Cascade Plan can be initiated immediately and completed in less time and at less cost than other alternatives. The plan has the additional benefit of being flexible in its implementation. That allows the project to be modified during construction as may be necessary to create the most effective solution to the problems currently affecting the Sea.
The consortium has committed to have 85 percent of its labor force drawn from the local market. In addition, 85 percent of the consturction material will be obtained locally.
The Cascade Plan has been submitted to the State of California's Department of Water Resources for review in the context of CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. An outreach program is being initiated to inform the public about the plan, its attributes and ways in which it can be implemented.
