SAN FRANCISCO—Responding to today’s announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation that a formal water shortage will be narrowly avoided in 2017 in Lake Mead, Audubon California urged state and federal officials to secure water supply reliability in the Lower Colorado Basin and the Salton Sea. The Lake Mead reservoir provides water provides water to Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico.

“While a shortage declaration was avoided today, it remains urgent that California, Arizona, Nevada and the federal government address the water crisis in the lower Colorado River basin, which includes the Salton Sea,” said Brigid McCormack, Executive Director of Audubon California. “Resolving the crisis at the Salton Sea is a necessary component to creating water supply reliability in the Lower Colorado River Basin. A solution at the Salton Sea is within our grasp if the State of California fulfills its commitments.”

Hundreds of thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of birds are at risk due the declining Salton Sea. The State of California must accelerate and expedite the effort to create a sustainable Salton Sea.” 

In 2003, the State of California committed to restoring the Salton Sea ecosystem; last October, the State committed to constructing as much as 25,000 acres of habitat and dust control projects in the next decade. Yet to date, no projects have been built to create habitat or mitigate dust as the sea shrinks. Governor Brown and Legislature must act on these commitments now.

About Audubon California

Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. Audubon California is a field program of Audubon, which has more than 60,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local chapters dedicated to protecting birds, wildlife and the habitats that support them.

More information is available at http://ca.audubon.org/.