Advertisement

As California farms use less Colorado River water, worries grow over shrinking Salton Sea

Mark McBroom, a farmer in the Imperial Valley, walks across a canal gate near Calipatria.
Farmer Mark McBroom walks over a canal gate next to an alfalfa field that he temporarily left dry as part of a water conservation program in the Imperial Valley.
Share via

It was 111 degrees when Mark McBroom stepped from his air-conditioned pickup and onto a dry alfalfa field. Remnants of desiccated hay crunched underfoot, and the sun-baked soil was fragmented with deep cracks.

McBroom and other Imperial Valley farmers agreed to leave many hay fields unwatered for seven weeks this year in exchange for cash payments from a federally funded program designed to alleviate the water shortage on the Colorado River.

Many farmers decided that the payments — $300 per acre-foot of water conserved — would pencil out for them this year, in part because hay prices have recently fallen.

“Most of the farming community felt like our water is worth a lot more than that, but we wanted to help,” McBroom said. “We want to be good neighbors.”

Advertisement

Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change, the environment, health and science.

But while the three-year deal is helping to save water in the river’s reservoirs, some people in the Imperial Valley say they’re concerned it’s also accelerating the decline of the Salton Sea and worsening environmental problems along its retreating shores.

With less water running off fields and into the sea, growing stretches of dry lakebed are being exposed to desert winds that kick up lung-damaging dust. At the same time, the lake is growing saltier as it shrinks, bringing changes to a habitat that is a vital stopover for migratory birds.

“This three-year deal is accelerating the receding of the sea,” said Eric Montoya Reyes, executive director of the nonprofit group Los Amigos de la Comunidad. “It’s going to impact our community.”

An aerial view of side-by-side alfalfa fields -- one left dry and the other  irrigated -- near Calipatria.
An aerial view of adjacent alfalfa fields — one irrigated, lower left, and the other left dry — in September near Calipatria.

The voluntary water-saving program is an unusual effort by farmers who receive the single largest share of Colorado River water. While the growers adamantly oppose leaving farmland permanently dry, they decided that shutting off water temporarily to hay fields would help conserve supplies and minimize effects on crop production and the local economy.

Leaders of the Imperial Irrigation District say their agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will save up to 700,000 acre-feet of water — enough to raise the level of Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, more than 10 feet.

Advertisement

But environmental advocates have argued that the irrigation district’s deal with the federal government fails to adequately address the effects on the shrinking lake.

The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, has long been fed by agricultural runoff. The lake has been drying up over the last two decades as a result of a 2003 deal in which the Imperial Irrigation District, or IID, transferred a portion of the valley’s water to growing urban areas.

An aerial view of the receding banks of the Salton Sea
The Salton Sea has been drying up over the last two decades as a result of a deal in which the Imperial Irrigation District transferred a portion of the valley’s water to urban areas.

For years, local activists and residents in the Imperial and Coachella valleys have urged state officials to speed up long-delayed efforts to build wetlands along the retreating shores to create wildlife habitat and control dust that contributes to high asthma rates.

Reyes has criticized IID officials for doing “backroom deals” and “leaving the community out.”

Leaders of several other groups, including Alianza Coachella Valley and Audubon California, said the water cuts under the new program come on top of lower-than-expected water use in the region this year, and have led to what they say is an alarming acceleration of the lake’s decline. They say that since the conservation program began in mid-August, the Salton Sea’s surface has fallen about 10 inches and the lake has shrunk by about 3,500 acres, exposing new stretches of dust-emitting playa.

“There are impacts right now, and those should be recognized,” said Michael Cohen, a senior researcher at the Oakland-based Pacific Institute. He said he hopes the state and the IID will accelerate the work of building wetlands to protect threatened birds and fish species, and to ensure that additional dust doesn’t worsen air quality in nearby communities.

An Imperial Valley farmer's tractor kicks up a dust cloud at sunrise.

The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit challenging the district’s approval of the conservation program, saying it violated state law and will mean additional environmental impacts that hadn’t been contemplated. Joan Taylor, the group’s California conservation chair, said the Sierra Club recognizes the need for saving water but that the environmental effects shouldn’t be ignored.

Advertisement

She said the IID “has a responsibility to mitigate those additional impacts.”

New research examines how much global warming has sapped the Colorado River since 2000. It shows the region has lost more water than Lake Mead can hold.

July 30, 2023

Despite the legal challenge, IID officials said they complied with the law when they carried out an environmental assessment and launched the conservation effort, which they call a deficit-irrigation program.

The district said in a written statement that it “remains dedicated to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Colorado River while also addressing the immediate needs of the Salton Sea and surrounding communities.”

“Our goal is to protect both our region’s water supply and the health of residents and wildlife, and we will continue to take proactive steps in maintaining that balance,” the district said.

A welcome sign stands at the entrance to Desert Shores next to the shrinking Salton Sea.
A welcome sign stands at the entrance to Desert Shores on the west side of the shrinking Salton Sea.

State officials are years behind schedule on plans for building wetlands at the Salton Sea, but as of this month the state has largely finished construction of a 4,100-acre habitat area along the south shore. In other areas, thousands of hay bales have been placed in rows on the lakebed to help control dust.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation this year establishing a Salton Sea Conservancy that will coordinate efforts to protect public health and bolster the lake’s ecosystem.

Advertisement

The Biden administration has pledged $250 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to help expand the Salton Sea projects. Tina Shields, the IID’s water manager, said the district’s leaders hope the lawsuit doesn’t delay the transfer of $170 million to the state this year.

“That causes us a little bit of concern that that could be interrupted, which would halt the projects out there at this point,” Shields said. “We understand there are concerns and issues, but at the end of the day, the Salton Sea has no water if Imperial Valley has no water, so we’re going to do our best to protect the river for the community and the growers — and the region as a whole.”

A boat sits high on the shore of Desert Shores next to the Salton Sea.
A boat sits high on the shore of Desert Shores next to the Salton Sea.

The Colorado River provides water to seven states from Wyoming to Southern California, as well as 30 tribal nations and northern Mexico. The river has long been overallocated, and reservoir levels have dropped as hotter, drier conditions have reduced flows over the last 25 years.

Scientists have found that global warming has contributed significantly to the decline in the river’s flow since 2000.

The river’s condition has improved somewhat with wetter winters since 2023. But Lake Mead remains just 33% full, while the second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell, is now at 39% of capacity.

The Biden administration’s three-year agreement with the IID is the largest in a series of conservation deals supported with federal funds. Federal Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said these drought agreements are key to the stability of the water supply for millions of people and agriculture in the Southwest.

The federal government will provide $589 million to support conservation in the Imperial Valley through 2026, with funds going to the district as well as farmers who enroll in the programs.

The deficit-irrigation program began Aug. 13. Crews shut canal gates with locks and zip ties, cutting off water to about 1,800 hay fields.

A plant sprouts from an alfalfa field that was left dry in the Imperial Valley.
A plant sprouts from an alfalfa field that was left dry in September during a water-saving program in the Imperial Valley.

Left dry were fields of alfalfa, Bermuda grass and klein grass — in all more than 154,000 acres, or roughly a third of the valley’s irrigated land — forming a stark patchwork of brown fields interspersed with lush green crops.

Since the program ended Sept. 30, canal gates have been reopened and farmers have begun nursing fields back into production.

Mark McBroom stands next to a canal gate locked by the Imperial Irrigation District.
Mark McBroom stands beside one of his dry alfalfa fields in September next to a canal gate that was locked shut by the Imperial Irrigation District during a conservation program.

“It’s working as expected to date,” McBroom said as he inspected his dry fields in late September.

He said after workers “scratch up” the ground and reseed the field, alfalfa should grow back and thrive. An alfalfa field typically keeps producing for four years or more, and growers often harvest eight or nine cuttings of the cattle-feed crop per year.

“It’s a hardy plant,” McBroom said. “These fields are some really strong ground, and so this should come back really well.”

Advertisement

McBroom and other growers say they don’t expect the water-saving program to have a significant effect on the Salton Sea beyond the reductions in water use that were already occurring before the deal. They also point out that as agriculture becomes more water-efficient, the inflows that feed the lake will naturally continue to diminish.

McBroom, who also grows lemons, dates and other crops, enrolled most of his hay fields in the conservation program. He said he hopes other communities follow the Imperial Valley’s example by stepping up efforts to reduce water use.

However, he said he hopes the approach of idling farmland will be temporary and end after three years.

“I don’t think that the farming community really wants to see much more of our resource leave,” he said.

Colorado River in Crisis is a series of stories, videos and podcasts in which Los Angeles Times journalists travel throughout the river’s watershed, from the headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to the river’s dry delta in Mexico.

April 14, 2023

Other farmers agree. Brett Miller said the current program is “a strong solution in conserving a lot of water, and doing so without crippling our local farming industry, as full-year fallowing has done elsewhere.”

“We still need to see if the program impacts our yields in the following months. We can use this time to apply fertilizer or compost and hopefully have strong plant stands when we irrigate again,” Miller said.

Advertisement

Ed Hale, who shut off water to most of his alfalfa fields, said the approach of leaving fields dry on a voluntary basis for a short period limits the economic harm.

“Nobody wants to see long-term fallowing,” Hale said. “It’s a community killer.”

Farmers say they would prefer to expand another existing conservation program that pays those who invest in improving water efficiency on their fields.

“I’m a big believer in true efficiency-based conservation,” said Scott Emanuelli, a fourth-generation farmer and president of the Imperial County Farm Bureau.

A water flow gate and irrigation canal at dusk in the Imperial Valley.
Colorado River water flows in an irrigation canal at dusk in the Imperial Valley.

He said investing in more efficient irrigation systems and other water-saving improvements requires substantial investments and time, but would allow the valley to conserve more without leaving farmland dry and fallow.

“I don’t want to stop farming as my method of conservation,” he said. “We want to continue to farm, and do our part where we can.”

Advertisement
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com