A collage of images depicts shoreline habitat and wildlife that use the Salton Sea area in southern California.
Water Availability of the Salton Sea Watershed
Active
By California Water Science Center
November 14, 2023
Throughout history, the Salton Sea has formed and dried up due to flooding from the Colorado River. It was most recently formed in 1905 when the Colorado River broke through an irrigation canal and flowed uncontrolled into the Salton Sea watershed. The Salton Sea is a terminal lake (it has no outlets). It is also in transboundary watershed, with area in both the state of California and Mexico’s Baja California. The Salton Sea watershed covers more than 8,000 square miles. Groundwater use in the area and its effect on surface water features, such as springs, marshes, and the lake itself, is poorly understood.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
As of 2023, California's Salton Sea is the state's largest lake by surface area1. However, the sea is shrinking. Lake levels have declined more than 11 feet in the last 20 years (2003 to 2023)2. Changes in climate and inflows to the Salton Sea have resulted in a hypersaline body of water. The changes to the freshwater supply have also affected its wetland ecosystems, which support wildlife. These changes have also impacted the valleys around the Sea and their towns, agriculture, and infrastructure. As a result, air, water, and wildlife managers depend on research to make informed decisions related to the Salton Sea watershed.
Models can be used as a tool to quantify the availability of water in a watershed and describe the interactions of groundwater and surface water based on a specified water budget. Currently, a comprehensive model and water budget are not available for the Salton Sea watershed.
Objective
The objective of this study is for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to work with other agencies and stakeholders on developing and releasing datasets as part of a water budget.
Scope
The water availability analysis will consider the entire HUC6 watershed of the Salton Sea, but the Sea’s northern region will be considered in greater detail. The northern region of the Salton Sea includes land belonging to the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Reservation. (See the map below.)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
The project will examine the impacts of water use on groundwater quantity and quality in the Salton Sea watershed. Emphasis will be on providing information to the stakeholders and public at large to improve access to data and management of water resources.
Approach
This project includes three parts: stakeholder input, a conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework, and establishing historic surface water and groundwater budgets. The following approach is based on current and available resources and is subject to change.
1. Stakeholder involvement
After identifying stakeholders in the study area, a technical working group will be formed to solicit their feedback. This feedback will be used to inform the water availability study and help ensure products developed are intended to meet the needs of the region. Stakeholders will include representatives from tribes, federal, state, and local agencies involved in projects in the Salton Sea watershed that can likely use the study results. The technical working group will continue to operate throughout the study.
To help ensure deliverables are useful and relevant, the research will be prioritized, organized, and structured based on feedback gathered by the working group.
2. Conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework
Data will be compiled, and a conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework will be developed. As part of the conceptual model, water-use data will be compiled, and water quality will be considered. A hydrogeologic framework will be constructed that defines the following:
- vertical and horizontal extents of principal aquifers and confining units,
- variations in lithology and/or texture in principal water-bearing units, and
- aquifer hydraulic properties.
The data from both the conceptual and hydrogeologic framework models will be used to describe the initial and boundary conditions needed to set up the hydrologic flow models.
3. Surface-water and groundwater budgets
Once the conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework are established, the collected datasets will be used to calculate historic water budgets for the Salton Sea watershed. The water budgets and associated datasets will inform the initial setup of surface-water and groundwater models. A single integrated model is beyond the scope of the current project. However, in the future, the surface-water and groundwater models could be further developed and then combined into a single integrated model.
Relevance and Benefits
This study will provide the foundation for gathering hydrogeologic and water availability information for the Salton Sea watershed. Issues such as surface water and groundwater interactions, effects of urbanization on water resources, and hydrologic-system management are planned to be addressed.
References
1. Pacific Institute, 2023. Current Information on the Salton Sea. Date Accessed 23 June 2023.
2. U.S. Geological Survey, 2016, National Water Information System data available on the World Wide Web (USGS Water Data for the Nation), station 10254005. Date Accessed 23 June 2023.
Selenium Cycling in Salton Sea Wetlands
The effect of selenium toxicity on wildlife has been known for more than 50 years. This issue drew particular attention in the 1980s when embryo deformity and mortality was observed in birds at a wildlife refuge in California. Harmful effects from selenium were determined to be connected to irrigation drainage water. As a result, an effort began to monitor levels of selenium in irrigation drainage...
Salton Seismic Imaging
Studying Earthquake Hazards and Rifting Processes in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys
Saline Lakes - Great Salt Lake and the Salton Sea
The USGS Utah Water Science Center and the USGS Salton Sea Science Office work closely with Federal, State, local, nongovernmental, and tribal partners, providing valuable scientific information on the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the Great Salt Lake and the Salton Sea.
Salton Sea Science Office
USGS Salton Sea Science Office works closely with Federal, State, local, nongovernmental, and tribal partners, providing information for management actions. This USGS office has a unique charter to serve as an independent liaison between resource managers and the scientific community. In that capacity the the office provides scientific information and evaluations to decision makers who are engaged...
A collage of images depicts shoreline habitat and wildlife that use the Salton Sea area
A collage of images depicts shoreline habitat and wildlife that use the Salton Sea area in southern California.
Boat Docks High and Dry at the Salton Sea
As the Salton Sea continues to evaporate, old boat docks are now surrounded by sand and salt.
By
As the Salton Sea continues to evaporate, old boat docks are now surrounded by sand and salt.
By
Salton Sea Eastern Shorline
Salton Sea eastern shorline.
Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron and Brown Pelican at the Salton Sea
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Stream Gage sits high and dry on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea
Stream gage #10254005 located near Westmorland, CA, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea, now sits out of the water as the Salton Sea continues to evaporate and the shoreline retreats.
Stream gage #10254005 located near Westmorland, CA, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea, now sits out of the water as the Salton Sea continues to evaporate and the shoreline retreats.
Salton Sea Birds
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Salton Sea Sunset
Sunset on the southeast side of the Salton Sea, CA.
Sunset on the southeast side of the Salton Sea, CA.
Salton Sea Birds
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Looking South at the Salton Sea
Looking South at the Salton Sea, California.
Looking South at the Salton Sea, California.
Throughout history, the Salton Sea has formed and dried up due to flooding from the Colorado River. It was most recently formed in 1905 when the Colorado River broke through an irrigation canal and flowed uncontrolled into the Salton Sea watershed. The Salton Sea is a terminal lake (it has no outlets). It is also in transboundary watershed, with area in both the state of California and Mexico’s Baja California. The Salton Sea watershed covers more than 8,000 square miles. Groundwater use in the area and its effect on surface water features, such as springs, marshes, and the lake itself, is poorly understood.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
As of 2023, California's Salton Sea is the state's largest lake by surface area1. However, the sea is shrinking. Lake levels have declined more than 11 feet in the last 20 years (2003 to 2023)2. Changes in climate and inflows to the Salton Sea have resulted in a hypersaline body of water. The changes to the freshwater supply have also affected its wetland ecosystems, which support wildlife. These changes have also impacted the valleys around the Sea and their towns, agriculture, and infrastructure. As a result, air, water, and wildlife managers depend on research to make informed decisions related to the Salton Sea watershed.
Models can be used as a tool to quantify the availability of water in a watershed and describe the interactions of groundwater and surface water based on a specified water budget. Currently, a comprehensive model and water budget are not available for the Salton Sea watershed.
Objective
The objective of this study is for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to work with other agencies and stakeholders on developing and releasing datasets as part of a water budget.
Scope
The water availability analysis will consider the entire HUC6 watershed of the Salton Sea, but the Sea’s northern region will be considered in greater detail. The northern region of the Salton Sea includes land belonging to the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Reservation. (See the map below.)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
The project will examine the impacts of water use on groundwater quantity and quality in the Salton Sea watershed. Emphasis will be on providing information to the stakeholders and public at large to improve access to data and management of water resources.
Approach
This project includes three parts: stakeholder input, a conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework, and establishing historic surface water and groundwater budgets. The following approach is based on current and available resources and is subject to change.
1. Stakeholder involvement
After identifying stakeholders in the study area, a technical working group will be formed to solicit their feedback. This feedback will be used to inform the water availability study and help ensure products developed are intended to meet the needs of the region. Stakeholders will include representatives from tribes, federal, state, and local agencies involved in projects in the Salton Sea watershed that can likely use the study results. The technical working group will continue to operate throughout the study.
To help ensure deliverables are useful and relevant, the research will be prioritized, organized, and structured based on feedback gathered by the working group.
2. Conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework
Data will be compiled, and a conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework will be developed. As part of the conceptual model, water-use data will be compiled, and water quality will be considered. A hydrogeologic framework will be constructed that defines the following:
- vertical and horizontal extents of principal aquifers and confining units,
- variations in lithology and/or texture in principal water-bearing units, and
- aquifer hydraulic properties.
The data from both the conceptual and hydrogeologic framework models will be used to describe the initial and boundary conditions needed to set up the hydrologic flow models.
3. Surface-water and groundwater budgets
Once the conceptual model and hydrogeologic framework are established, the collected datasets will be used to calculate historic water budgets for the Salton Sea watershed. The water budgets and associated datasets will inform the initial setup of surface-water and groundwater models. A single integrated model is beyond the scope of the current project. However, in the future, the surface-water and groundwater models could be further developed and then combined into a single integrated model.
Relevance and Benefits
This study will provide the foundation for gathering hydrogeologic and water availability information for the Salton Sea watershed. Issues such as surface water and groundwater interactions, effects of urbanization on water resources, and hydrologic-system management are planned to be addressed.
References
1. Pacific Institute, 2023. Current Information on the Salton Sea. Date Accessed 23 June 2023.
2. U.S. Geological Survey, 2016, National Water Information System data available on the World Wide Web (USGS Water Data for the Nation), station 10254005. Date Accessed 23 June 2023.
Selenium Cycling in Salton Sea Wetlands
The effect of selenium toxicity on wildlife has been known for more than 50 years. This issue drew particular attention in the 1980s when embryo deformity and mortality was observed in birds at a wildlife refuge in California. Harmful effects from selenium were determined to be connected to irrigation drainage water. As a result, an effort began to monitor levels of selenium in irrigation drainage...
Salton Seismic Imaging
Studying Earthquake Hazards and Rifting Processes in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys
Saline Lakes - Great Salt Lake and the Salton Sea
The USGS Utah Water Science Center and the USGS Salton Sea Science Office work closely with Federal, State, local, nongovernmental, and tribal partners, providing valuable scientific information on the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the Great Salt Lake and the Salton Sea.
Salton Sea Science Office
USGS Salton Sea Science Office works closely with Federal, State, local, nongovernmental, and tribal partners, providing information for management actions. This USGS office has a unique charter to serve as an independent liaison between resource managers and the scientific community. In that capacity the the office provides scientific information and evaluations to decision makers who are engaged...
A collage of images depicts shoreline habitat and wildlife that use the Salton Sea area
A collage of images depicts shoreline habitat and wildlife that use the Salton Sea area in southern California.
A collage of images depicts shoreline habitat and wildlife that use the Salton Sea area in southern California.
Boat Docks High and Dry at the Salton Sea
As the Salton Sea continues to evaporate, old boat docks are now surrounded by sand and salt.
By
As the Salton Sea continues to evaporate, old boat docks are now surrounded by sand and salt.
By
Salton Sea Eastern Shorline
Salton Sea eastern shorline.
Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron and Brown Pelican at the Salton Sea
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Stream Gage sits high and dry on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea
Stream gage #10254005 located near Westmorland, CA, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea, now sits out of the water as the Salton Sea continues to evaporate and the shoreline retreats.
Stream gage #10254005 located near Westmorland, CA, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea, now sits out of the water as the Salton Sea continues to evaporate and the shoreline retreats.
Salton Sea Birds
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Salton Sea Sunset
Sunset on the southeast side of the Salton Sea, CA.
Sunset on the southeast side of the Salton Sea, CA.
Salton Sea Birds
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Birds found in and around the Salton Sea, California.
Looking South at the Salton Sea
Looking South at the Salton Sea, California.
Looking South at the Salton Sea, California.