Geothermal Energy has an opportunity to provide the revenue for restoring the blighted inland sea
California regulators on Tuesday approved a plan to spend nearly $400 million over 10 years to slow the shrinking of the state’s largest lake, a vital migratory stop for birds and a buffer against swirling dust in farming towns.
Funding for the Salton Sea is unclear but the plan enjoyed support of major water agencies and environmental advocacy groups and preserves a fragile peace among urban and rural areas in California on distributing the state’s share of Colorado River water. Authorities in Imperial Valley, home to the 350-square-mile (560-square-kilometer) lake, had threatened to derail a landmark water-sharing agreement unless California did more to honor its commitment to a long-term fix.
Kevin Kelley, general manager of the Imperial Irrigation District, told the State Water Resources Control Board that the plan would create a smaller but more sustainable lake. He acknowledged public opinion was divided in the desert farming region of about 175,000 people, which provides the U.S. with much of its winter vegetables.
