Here is their plans. If you have not seen the work already, its pretty amazing how much dirt they have moved at the south end of the sea.
Salton Sea 10 year plan
- Thread starter Green House
- Start date
I'm ignorant to what's going on. What's the plan? WFO Corvina at Red Hill? Ed F
The bottom right of the legend shows the color line for that year sea edge. These lines should outline the levels of the salton sea over the next 10 years. The blue areas are new marsh being formed (hunting spots?) by diking off the sea and pumping sea water in. This is the 10 year future of the Salton Sea laid out in front. Anyone who hunts the sea knows the only constant is change.
Ill say they aint screwing around and are moving crazy amounts of dirt.
"Between 11,130 to 20,920 acres of aquatic habitat restoration projects will be analyzed for coverage as part of the proposed SSMP Project. The 11,130 acres represents the minimum required habitat acreage of 14,900 acres minus the already approved 4,110-acre SCH Project under development. The high end of the range represents the total amount of aquatic habitat that could be created within all proposed aquatic habitat restoration opportunity areas and would be in addition to the SCH Project."
Read more here-
Ill say they aint screwing around and are moving crazy amounts of dirt.
"Between 11,130 to 20,920 acres of aquatic habitat restoration projects will be analyzed for coverage as part of the proposed SSMP Project. The 11,130 acres represents the minimum required habitat acreage of 14,900 acres minus the already approved 4,110-acre SCH Project under development. The high end of the range represents the total amount of aquatic habitat that could be created within all proposed aquatic habitat restoration opportunity areas and would be in addition to the SCH Project."
Read more here-
as many of you know SCH will have new ponds being built for just us
1.1.1 Salton Sea SCH Project The SCH Project has already met CEQA and NEPA compliance. Design and construction of the SCH Project is expected to begin in Fall 2020. Information on the SCH Project is provided here for background purposes only. Approximately 4,110 acres of ponds will be constructed to restore piscivorous bird habitat lost due to the Salton Sea’s increasing salinity and reduced area. The SCH ponds will be located below the -228 feet mean sea level (msl) based on the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988 (NAVD 1988)2, in areas northeast of the New River, and shoreline areas to the southwest and west. SCH ponds will include berms and channels to manage water movement in the newly created habitat areas. The water supply will be a mix of brackish river water and hypersaline water from the Sea to produce salinity levels suitable for fish and other wildlife (USACE 2013).
1.1.1 Salton Sea SCH Project The SCH Project has already met CEQA and NEPA compliance. Design and construction of the SCH Project is expected to begin in Fall 2020. Information on the SCH Project is provided here for background purposes only. Approximately 4,110 acres of ponds will be constructed to restore piscivorous bird habitat lost due to the Salton Sea’s increasing salinity and reduced area. The SCH ponds will be located below the -228 feet mean sea level (msl) based on the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988 (NAVD 1988)2, in areas northeast of the New River, and shoreline areas to the southwest and west. SCH ponds will include berms and channels to manage water movement in the newly created habitat areas. The water supply will be a mix of brackish river water and hypersaline water from the Sea to produce salinity levels suitable for fish and other wildlife (USACE 2013).
3.5 PUBLIC USE ACTIVITIES The purpose of the proposed SSMP Project is to create projects that provide wildlife habitat and suppress dust (see Section 2.0, Purpose and Need). Some public use activities would be prioritized to the extent they are compatible with the purpose and need of the proposed SSMP Project, and with the management of the dust suppression areas and fish and wildlife habitat ponds. Such activities, if determined to be compatible, may include picnicking, hiking, birdwatching, non-powered watercraft use, and hunting. Public access and recreational activities would be periodically reviewed for compatibility with goals and objectives. Compatible land uses would be determined through agency review. However, management plans may require that certain areas be closed to public access to avoid impacts to wildlife, habitat, or aquatic resources either seasonally or year-round. Fish would not be intentionally stocked for the purpose of providing angling opportunities. Nevertheless, such opportunities may be provided at the habitat ponds, in particular for tilapia. Fish populations would be monitored as a metric of the proposed SSMP Project’s success. If populations become well established and appear to provide fish in excess of what birds are consuming, angling could potentially be allowed. Waterfowl hunting may be allowed, consistent with the protection of other avian resources and public use
@ilovesprig if you read it... they will pump salton sea water and fresh water in. They are not getting water from the pacific or gulf.
The shame is a ditch from the gulf to laguna salada then into the new river would work. This would fix the salton sea and restore it to greatness.
The shame is a ditch from the gulf to laguna salada then into the new river would work. This would fix the salton sea and restore it to greatness.
Hmmmmmm.........."if determined to be compatible".....And, " may be allowed"....Just like other refuges & wildlife areas........... 
They say mix the salton sea with the water from the new river and then again do this by the Alamo. They built a mile long dike into the sea to put a pump to move sea water in. Gotta see the dike, its long. Its very different this year than last year by the south end of the sea.
The purple area is basically almost built and the blue areas are future expansion or so we hope.
The purple area is basically almost built and the blue areas are future expansion or so we hope.
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@ilovesprig any idea on how the ducks will like the brackish water? Will plants they feed on be able to grow?
Hmmmmmm.........."if determined to be compatible".....And, " may be allowed"....Just like other refuges & wildlife areas...........
All hunters MUST stay involved with the work of this plan. And be sure voices are heard at each opportunity in the coming years...
To grow timothy or bulrush the pond has to be dried up, then flooded (managed)....Watergrass and bulrush will grow in ditches, but only where it fluctuates (edges)...The problem I see is the same one that has happened to the IID mitigation ponds and Wister...Over grown with tules, Arundo (bamboo), Atriplex (quail bush), and salt cedar (tamarix).
It takes about 3-5 years and the ponds will be unrecognizable without some kind of management....And that kind of management costs big bucks....In the short term, it could be a good place to hunt, if they keep the ponds deep enough so tules won't take over...Think Lake Francis on Wister.
My concern too Steve. Alcott and hazard stayed vegetation free as long as the water stayed brackish. If not and the water stays fresh this will become a tule jungle like they did.
I wonder if this plan is being done in conjunction with the plans for lithium mining and expanded geothermal power. And if so what areas that may impact, as I bet they wouldn't tell us up front or put it in their plan. I hear the mining will pay for some of this mitigation work.
I’m all for restoration and possible additional hunting opportunities; but IMO, it’s all a band-aid to a ever increasing problem that bottom line revolves on water .
Looking at that map I can't see how "restoring" or maybe a better term would be "separating and fixing" those small areas would do much for the overall problems there. I guess it's a start though...if they actually carry out these plans. If they impound the areas in the north and south does the rest of the sea continue to shrink? If so, by the time they finish those areas there will be more shoreline exposed than the total of what they fixed.
It may be more of an organized retreat than a plan of attack.