California continues making progress on restoring the Salton Sea, with around 2,000 acres of previously dry lakebed now flooded and transformed into shallow ponds and wetlands, reducing toxic dust exposure and providing critical habitat for birds and other wildlife. This effort is part of the Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) project, which has moved from heavy construction into an active, managed ecosystem.
The Salton Sea restoration project
The Salton Sea restoration project tackles both public health and environmental challenges in the Imperial Valley. Keeping the lakebed submerged, it reduces the toxic dust that can blow into nearby communities, while a gravity-flow system mixes salty water from the Salton Sea with freshwater from the New River to maintain the right salinity for fish like tilapia and the endangered desert pupfish to thrive.
The restoration hit high gear in May 2025 when the flooding of the East Pond Expansion kicked off. This 750-acre addition brought the total operational habitat to more than 2,000 acres. By early 2026, construction on the next phase (the Center and West Ponds) passed the 50% completion mark.
Recent monitoring shows positive results. In March 2026, Audubon California reported a 15% increase in shorebird populations, with a record 250,000 birds seen in a single day. According to the SSMP Progress Dashboard, the total project footprint is on track to span over 9,000 acres by 2028.
Brief history of the Salton Sea
The Salton Sea was created by accident in 1905 when flooding from the Colorado River filled a dry desert basin in southern California. Before that, the area had filled and dried naturally many times over thousands of years.
In the mid‑1900s, it became a popular spot for boating and fishing. But with no outlet, salts and farm runoff built up, harming fish and birds and creating health problems for nearby communities, such as toxic dust.
