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“THE SALTON SEA RECLAMATION ACT OF 1998” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Senate section on pages S12905-S12906 on Oct. 21, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE SALTON SEA RECLAMATION ACT OF 1998
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am so pleased that the 105th Congress has approved H.R. 3267, the Salton Sea Reclamation Act of 1998. This legislation is an important step toward an efficient and responsible restoration of the unique Salton Sea ecosystem.
Earlier this year, I introduced S. 1716, the Senate version of the Salton Sea restoration legislation. H.R. 3267 includes portions of my legislation. Although it does not authorize all of the steps necessary to complete the recovery of the Salton Sea as my bill would have done, it is a necessary step toward that goal.
Over the years, scientists, communities and politicians alike have been trying to draw national attention to the decline of the Salton Sea. Our late friend and colleague, Representative Sonny Bono, who died in a tragic skiing accident in January, worked tirelessly to make this issue an environmental priority for this Congress.
The Salton Sea is a unique natural resource in Southern California. Created in 1905 by a breach in a levee along the Colorado River, the Salton Sea is California's largest inland body of water. It is one of the most important habitats for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway.
For 16 months after the breach, the Colorado River flowed into a dry lakebed, filling it to a depth of 80 feet. For a time following the closure of the levee, the water levels declined rapidly as evaporation greatly exceeded inflow. A minimum level was reached in the 1920s, after which the sea once again began to rise, due largely to the importation of water into the basin for agricultural purposes from the New and Alamo Rivers.
Since there is no natural outlet for the sea at its current level, evaporation is the only way water leaves the basin. All the salts carried with water that flows into the sea have remained there, along with salts re-suspended from prehistoric/historic times by the new inundation. Salinity is currently more than 25 percent higher than ocean water, and rising.
This extreme salinity, along with agricultural and wastewater in the sea, are rapidly deteriorating the entire ecosystem. The existing Salton Sea ecosystem is under severe stress and nearing collapse, with millions of fish and thousands of bird die-offs in recent years. Birds and fish that once thrived here are now threatened with death and disease as the tons of salts and toxic contaminants that are constantly dumped into the Salton Sea become more and more concentrated and deadly over time. The local economy is also being affected by the disaster at the Salton Sea by the loss of recreational opportunities, decrease in tourism, and the impact on agriculture.
We all now agree that we must take the necessary long-term and short-
term steps to stabilize salinity and contaminant levels to protect the dwindling fishery resources and to reduce the threats to migratory birds. However, there is no consensus on how that should be done.
The Salton Sea Reclamation Act should answer those questions. It requires the Interior Department to report to Congress within two years on the options for restoring the Salton Sea, including a recommendation for a preferred option. Interior will review ways to reduce and stabilize salinity, stabilize surface elevation, restore the health of fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, enhance recreational use and economic development, and continue the use the Salton Sea for irrigation drainage.
When this report is submitted to Congress, we will then have the information necessary to act swiftly to authorize construction of a restoration project.
It has taken the hard work and dedication of many individuals to make this legislation a success. I would like to thank members of the Salton Sea Authority, including the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, the Imperial Irrigation District, and the Coachella Valley Water District, the National Audubon Society, the Department of the Interior, Congresswoman Mary Bono, Congressman George Brown, Congressman Hunter, and the entire Salton Sea Task Force, Senator Kyl and Senator Chafee.
Scientists have warned that the Salton Sea will be a dead sea within fifteen years. This legislation is an integral step to ensure that we avoid such a disaster.
I am pleased that my House and Senate colleagues have agreed to this necessary and important legislation that will not only benefit Californians and our natural heritage, but will also carry on the legacy of Representative Bono.
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