Salton Sea Project receives $700K for restoration of Bombay Beach Wetlands

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a grant of $700,000 to Audubon California towards the stabilization, restoration and enhancement of wetlands near the town of Bombay Beach, on the Salton Sea, according to a release issued Tuesday by the environmental organization.

The area already hosts a number of “emergent wetlands,” formed by flows from nearby springs, the release said. These incidental wetlands, nearby saline wetlands and brackish pools have become home to species including the Yuma Ridgway’s Rail, American Avocet, Northern Pintail and possibly Desert Pupfish.

“The species that are already arriving to use this area, even without formal restoration or management of the habitat, shows that nature takes advantage of even the smallest opportunity,” said Andrea Jones, director of bird conservation for Audubon California. “Unfortunately, that opportunity at Bombay Beach will stay small without some major help. This grant will help us control the invasive tamarisk trees which choke out native plants, protect these wetlands from storm runoff, control dust and create badly-needed habitat for birds.”

The Bombay Wetlands project will help stabilize and enhance the various emergent and saline wetland and playa habitats, the release said. Berms will retain water within wetlands, which can then be released onto adjacent playa areas to control dust and help protect human health.

The project will also seeks to include outdoor recreation opportunities and serve as a model for other multi-purpose restoration efforts around the sea. Audubon California said building of habitat at the Salton Sea is important for the more than 300 species of resident and migratory birds that rely on the sea as a place to stop, rest, refuel or raise young. With little other similar wetland habitat left along the Pacific Flyway, ensuring sufficient habitat at the Salton Sea for these birds is essential.

Some 6,000 acres of newly formed wetlands have emerged around the Salton Sea, product of agricultural outflows or from natural seeps from springs. Audubon California said these incidental wetlands can serve a dual purpose; controlling dust that endangers the respiratory health of the 650,000 people who live near the Salton Sea, and creating habitat in an area of vital importance to birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.

This first phase of the project, which is expected to take two years, includes habitat and dust control project design, scientific monitoring and data collection, and community engagement in planning design. Following successful completion of this planning phase, groundbreaking on construction would start 2023.

“Nature has presented us with a solution,” said Jones. “We’re urging state planners to include the preservation and expansion of these emergent wetlands in future projects.”