Category: News

May 14, 2025: CalMatters Geologically rich but economically poor, Salton Sea communities want a say in their lithium future The Salton Sea region in California is poised to become a major hub for lithium extraction, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and electronics. As this industry grows, local communities—many of which have long…

April 28, 2025: NBC Palm Springs Salton Sea Authority Launches $22.3M Study to Guide Restoration The Salton Sea Authority has announced a $22.3 million feasibility study to develop a realistic, long-term restoration plan for the entire Salton Sea. Formed in 1993, the Authority coordinates local leaders, agencies, and community input to align projects with state…

April 2, 2025: Salton Sea Management Project Salton Sea Management Program Update: Water Reaches First Pond of Major Restoration Effort As the largest restoration effort at the Salton Sea—the Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) Project—continues to expand, we’ve reached a critical milestone: water is now flowing into the first pond, known as the East Pond. This…

January 29, 2025: Cal Matters Massive Salton Sea lithium project gets judge’s go-ahead, ending advocates’ lawsuit An Imperial County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by civic and environmental groups against the Hell’s Kitchen lithium mining project at the Salton Sea, allowing the $1.8 billion initiative to proceed. The plaintiffs argued that the project’s environmental…

On January 14, 2025, President Biden designated Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in Northern California. Tribal leaders, elected officials, and community members celebrated the move, highlighting its significance for conservation, climate action, and tribal heritage. Senator Alex Padilla praised the designation as a major step in protecting public lands,…

December 3, 2024: phys.org Analysis reveals overlooked NOₓ emissions in California’s Salton Sea air basin A recent study led by the University of California, Davis, has revealed that soil contributes to at least 25% of nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) emissions in California’s Salton Sea air basin. The research found that soil in the region emits approximately…

October 19, 2024: Imperial Valley Press EPA settles case with Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal over wetlands discharge impacting on Salton Sea The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal, LLC (HKG) for damaging wetlands connected to the Salton Sea through illegal dredging and ditching activities as part of a lithium extraction…

September 30, 2024: kpbs Why the Sierra Club is suing to change a deal aimed at protecting the Colorado River The Sierra Club is suing Imperial County’s Imperial Irrigation District (IID) over a water conservation deal aimed at saving the Colorado River. Under the deal, IID will cut water usage by 750,000 acre-feet over three…

September 28, 2024: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/ Senator Padilla’s Historic Legislation Creating Salton Sea Conservancy Signed into Law Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 583 into law, creating the Salton Sea Conservancy. This new body will unify efforts to protect public health, restore ecological balance, and involve local stakeholders in addressing the environmental challenges posed by the…

September 26, 2024: theconversation.com: Big lithium plans for Imperial Valley, one of California’s poorest regions, raise a bigger question: Who should benefit? The discovery of vast lithium reserves in California’s Imperial Valley, now dubbed “Lithium Valley,” promises a potential economic revival for one of the state’s most distressed regions. With innovative extraction techniques using geothermal…