Officials cautiously optimistic ahead of Prop 68 vote

In what could become one of the most significant milestones toward the restoration of the Salton Sea, California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 68, a $4.1 billion parks and water bond that includes $200 for the Salton Sea.

State and local officials are cautiously optimistic about passage of the bond measure, which could help the state secure more of the half of the funds it will need to fund the 10-year plan.

In March of last year, the California Natural Resources Agency, which has been tasked with carrying out the habitat and dust suppression projects, released a 10-year plan as part of the Salton Sea Management Program. It set a roadmap for the state to build dust-suppression projects to cover nearly 30,000 acres of exposed lakebed by 2028.

The plan is expected to cost the state approximately $400 million, and, thus far, just $80 million has been appropriated for the plan.

“We have high hopes for Proposition 68. We are reasonably confident that it will pass,” said Bruce Wilcox, the assistant secretary for Salton Sea Policy for the CRNA. “The voters tend to favor these types of bonds, but you never know.”

He noted that very early in the process, the support for the bond was about 60 percent in favor, but he said he wasn’t aware of how those numbers may have changed since.

During the weekend, a series of rallies in support of the measure were held in different part of the state including Brawley, Coachella and Santa Maria.

“Prop 68 is about saving the Salton Sea,” Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia told attendees at the rally in Coachella. He later attended the rally held in Brawley.

In addition to Proposition 68, an $8 billion water bond scheduled for the November ballot would also allocate $200 for the Salton Sea. If both bonds are passed, the state would have full funding for the entire 10-year plan.

“Although we anticipate Proposition 68 will receive the support of the voters, there is also a November water bond, which has $200 Million in funding earmarked for the Salton Sea,” said Imperial Irrigation District spokeswoman Marion Champion.

“Our board has already taken a support stance on the yet to be numbered bond and we are hopeful that the voters will understand the urgent need at the sea and financially support its restoration.”

Despite the optimism regarding the bond, there are issues that need to be resolved as the state moves forward. The main issue at this time is right of way issues related to the Species Conservation Habitat project west of the New River that have delayed the already-funded project.

Although Wilcox foresees those matters to be ironed out in the short future, it remains unclear how soon the state will be able to get projects off the ground when Prop 68 monies are approved.

A serious potential conundrum is if the voters decide not to approve the bond, as there is no current contingency plan.

“It’s hard to do contingency planning when the state is supposed to put up all of the money,” Wilcox said. “There’s no way to go and get $200 million.”

Even though the state is still looking for federal funds to assist at the Salton Sea, federal money wouldn’t be nearly enough to offset the loss of $200 million if Prop 68 fails.

Regardless of what happens on Tuesday, Champion said IID is ready to continue to push the state to meet its obligation.

“We will be relying on the continued jurisdiction of the State Water Board, which when they adopted the revised order in November, clearly established annual targets for habitat restoration and dust-suppression projects for the next 10-years. The order also established a process for the state to identify and remedy shortfalls,” Champion said.