Salton Sea ecosystem monitoring and assessment plan

Case, Harry L.; Boles, Jerry; Delgado, Arturo; Nguyen, Thang T. X.; Osugi, Doug; Barnum, Douglas A.; Decker, Drew; Steinberg, Steven J.; Steinberg, Sheila; Keene, Charles; White, K E; Lupo, Tom; Gen, Sheldon; Baerenklau, Ken

doi:10.3133/ofr20131133

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Because disamenity damages are a function of distance to the Sea's edge, we measure the distance of single‐family residences from the Sea using tax assessor parcel maps and contour maps delineating the Sea's edge based on its elevation. To avoid the complexity of multiple habitat types and challenges associated with speculating on their relative abundance and function in the future, we follow previous work in estimating wetland acreage and use the sum of a 25‐m buffer around the Sea's edge and a 1‐km buffer inside the Sea's edge (Case et al., 2013; Cohen, 2014).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To calculate changes in wetland habitat area, we again use contour maps of the bathymetry of the Sea to locate the Sea's edge and iteratively calculate wetland acreage. We follow previous work and sum the acreage of a 25-m buffer around the Sea's edge and a 1-km buffer inside the Sea's edge (Case et al, 2013;Cohen, 2014). Wetland acreage can then be calculated for each year according to Sea elevations under baseline and water delivery reduction scenarios.…”

Section: Transformationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Potential impacts of reduced inflows to the Salton Sea: Forecasting non‐market damages

Ayres

Adams²,

Carron³

et al. 2022

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Terminal lakes throughout the American West provide important amenity and environmental values, but many are shrinking due to reduced inflows and warming temperatures. In California's Imperial Valley, agricultural water use reductions diminish inflows supporting the Salton Sea, a terminal desert lake and important environmental amenity for both the region and the state as a whole. The costs of these reduced inflows are difficult to monetize yet complicate management decisions. We assess the costs of potential future drought‐induced transfers by linking novel hydrologic scenarios to an economic framework for quantifying local and regional damages based on existing estimates of non‐market environmental values from the literature. The costs of lost wetland ecosystems, increases in particulate matter from exposed playa, and other local disamenities are substantial. For the scenarios considered, they range between approximately $500 million and $1 billion in present value (2019 USD). Estimated damages per acre‐foot (or thousand m3) of reallocated water exceed several thousand dollars. The majority arise from loss of wetland habitat; incremental particulate matter damages are relatively modest in our modeling but exacerbate salient air quality issues in the region. Interest in reallocating water from Imperial Valley, the largest user of Colorado River water, to other applications will increase over time. Our work highlights the importance of evaluating the impacts of such efforts.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Transformationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential impacts of reduced inflows to the Salton Sea: Forecasting non‐market damages

Ayres

Adams²,

Carron³

et al. 2022

J American Water Resour Assoc

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show abstract

“…The retreating shoreline leaves behind exposed playa which has the potential to generate dust that is easily mobilized by strong winds in the area from the vast salt flats (King et al 2011) (Figure 2). A model from the US Geological Survey estimated that the decline of 3 feet in elevation will expose over 11,000 acres of saline lakebed sediment (Case et al 2013). A separate study predicts that fugitive wind-blown dust could increase by up to 40 to 80 tons per day after water inflows are reduced in 2018 and the lake will shrink by about 100 square miles by 2030 (Cohen and Hyun 2006).…”

Section: A Crisis In Slow Motion: Disappearing Seas and Air Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The disappearing Salton Sea: A critical reflection on the emerging environmental threat of disappearing saline lakes and potential impacts on children's health

Johnston

Razafy

Lugo

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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Changing weather patterns, droughts and competing water demands are dramatically altering the landscape and creating conditions conducive to the production of wind-blown dust and dust storms. In California, such factors are leading to the rapid shrinking of the Salton Sea, a 345 square mile landlocked "sea" situated near the southeastern rural border region known as the Imperial Valley. The region is anticipated to experience a dramatic increase in wind-blown dust and existing studies suggest a significant impact on the health and quality of life for nearby residents of this predominantly low-income, Mexican-American community. The discussion calls attention to the public health dimensions of the Salton Sea crisis. We know little about the possible long-term health effects of exposure to mobilized lakebed sediments or the numerous toxic contaminants that may become respirable on entrained particles. We draw on existing epidemiological literature of other known sources of wind-blown dust, such as desert dust storms, and related health effects to begin to understand the potential public health impact of wind-blown dust exposure. The increased production of wind-blown dust and environmental exposures to such non-combustion related sources of particulate matter are a growing health threat, due in part to drought coupled with increasing pressures on limited water resources. Recent population-based studies have linked dust storms with cardiovascular mortality, asthma hospitalization and decrease in pulmonary function in both adults and children. A growing number of studies provide evidence of the acute health effects of wind-blown dust exposures among children, which with repeated insults have the potential to influence respiratory health over time. The shrinking of the Salton Sea illustrates a public health and environmental justice crisis that requires action and attention to protect the health and well-being of local communities.

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Exploring the Effects of Urmia Lake’s Variability on Adjacent Cities and Villages

Jafari,

Isazade,

Qasimi

et al. 2024

J Indian Soc Remote Sens

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Salton Sea ecosystem monitoring and assessment plan

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

Potential impacts of reduced inflows to the Salton Sea: Forecasting non‐market damages

Potential impacts of reduced inflows to the Salton Sea: Forecasting non‐market damages

The disappearing Salton Sea: A critical reflection on the emerging environmental threat of disappearing saline lakes and potential impacts on children's health

Exploring the Effects of Urmia Lake’s Variability on Adjacent Cities and Villages

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