Historic win for the Salton Sea: California launches first new state conservancy in nearly 20 years

We have incredible news to share and it’s been a long time coming.

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 583 (Padilla) into law, officially creating the Salton Sea Conservancy, the first new state conservancy in California in nearly two decades. This is a landmark moment for the Salton Sea region, and for every family, neighbor, and advocate who has fought for cleaner air, healthier communities, and a restored Sea.

For decades, communities around the Salton Sea have borne the consequences of environmental neglect. From dangerous dust particles and poor air quality to shrinking habitat for wildlife. Today, that changes.

What the Conservancy means for our communities

The Salton Sea Conservancy will take on a critical role to move restoration efforts forward with purpose and accountability. Specifically, the Conservancy will:

• Support long-term operation and maintenance of large-scale habitat restoration projects
• Protect public health by reducing harmful dust from the exposed lakebed
• Restore critical wildlife habitat, including for the millions of birds traveling the Pacific Flyway
• Ensure local communities have a meaningful seat at the table in shaping the Sea’s future
• Increase public access to this treasured natural resource

“I am honored to join the Salton Sea Conservancy at such a critical moment for our region. For too long, the communities most impacted by the Salton Sea’s decline — such as families dealing with air pollution, children with asthma, residents who have watched this sea shrink before their eyes — have felt the weight of delayed action. The Conservancy gives us the structure to change that. By bringing together the right partners around shared priorities, we can finally align resources, cut through the fragmentation that has slowed progress, and advance real, lasting solutions for the people who need them most. I look forward to the work ahead.”

— Silvia Paz, Executive Director, Alianza Coachella Valley

Restoration already underway

The Conservancy is launching at a moment of real momentum. A year ago, the state began filling the first major habitat expansion at the Salton Sea, covering roughly three square miles of restored water, and within months, thousands of fish and birds were already using the new habitat.

The state’s flagship Species Conservation Habitat Project is now envisioned to span 9,400 acres, enough to fit roughly 7,200 football fields, creating a network of ponds, berms, nesting islands, and water delivery systems engineered to sustain wildlife and suppress harmful dust. Since 2019, the state has secured over half a billion dollars in combined state and federal investments to bring these projects to life.

A moment that belongs to all of us

This moment belongs to every person who raised their voice, showed up at meetings, and refused to let the Salton Sea be forgotten. Your advocacy helped make the Salton Sea Conservancy a reality.

The work ahead is significant but for the first time, we have the structure, the partners, and the long-term commitment to see it through together. Stay tuned for more updates as the Conservancy gets to work.

Photo Credit: The Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom