[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12905-S12906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE SALTON SEA RECLAMATION ACT OF 1998

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am so pleased that the 105th 
Congress has approved H.R. 3267, the Salton Sea Reclamation Act of 
1998. This legislation is an important step toward an efficient and 
responsible restoration of the unique Salton Sea ecosystem.
  Earlier this year, I introduced S. 1716, the Senate version of the 
Salton Sea restoration legislation. H.R. 3267 includes portions of my 
legislation. Although it does not authorize all of the steps necessary 
to complete the recovery of the Salton Sea as my bill would have done, 
it is a necessary step toward that goal.
  Over the years, scientists, communities and politicians alike have 
been trying to draw national attention to the decline of the Salton 
Sea. Our late friend and colleague, Representative Sonny Bono, who died 
in a tragic skiing accident in January, worked tirelessly to make this 
issue an environmental priority for this Congress.
  The Salton Sea is a unique natural resource in Southern California. 
Created in 1905 by a breach in a levee along the Colorado River, the 
Salton Sea is California's largest inland body of water. It is one of 
the most important habitats for migratory birds along the Pacific 
Flyway.
  For 16 months after the breach, the Colorado River flowed into a dry 
lakebed, filling it to a depth of 80 feet. For a time following the 
closure of the levee, the water levels declined rapidly as evaporation 
greatly exceeded inflow. A minimum level was reached in the 1920s, 
after which the sea once again began to rise, due largely to the 
importation of water into the basin for agricultural purposes from the 
New and Alamo Rivers.
  Since there is no natural outlet for the sea at its current level, 
evaporation is the only way water leaves the basin. All the salts 
carried with water that flows into the sea have remained there, along 
with salts re-suspended from prehistoric/historic times by the new 
inundation. Salinity is currently more than 25 percent higher than 
ocean water, and rising.
  This extreme salinity, along with agricultural and wastewater in the 
sea, are rapidly deteriorating the entire ecosystem. The existing 
Salton Sea ecosystem is under severe stress and nearing collapse, with 
millions of fish and thousands of bird die-offs in recent years. Birds 
and fish that once thrived here are now threatened with death and 
disease as the tons of salts and toxic contaminants that are constantly 
dumped into the Salton Sea become more and more concentrated and deadly 
over time. The local economy is also being affected by the disaster at 
the Salton Sea by the loss of recreational opportunities, decrease in 
tourism, and the impact on agriculture.
  We all now agree that we must take the necessary long-term and short-
term steps to stabilize salinity and contaminant levels to protect the 
dwindling fishery resources and to reduce the threats to migratory 
birds. However, there is no consensus on how that should be done.
  The Salton Sea Reclamation Act should answer those questions. It 
requires the Interior Department to report to Congress within two years 
on the options for restoring the Salton Sea, including a recommendation 
for a preferred option. Interior will review ways to reduce and 
stabilize salinity, stabilize surface elevation, restore the health of 
fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, enhance recreational 
use and economic development, and continue the use the Salton Sea for 
irrigation drainage.
  When this report is submitted to Congress, we will then have the 
information necessary to act swiftly to authorize construction of a 
restoration project.
  It has taken the hard work and dedication of many individuals to make 
this legislation a success. I would like to thank members of the Salton 
Sea Authority, including the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, the 
Riverside County Board of Supervisors, the Imperial Irrigation 
District, and the Coachella Valley Water District, the National Audubon 
Society, the Department of the Interior, Congresswoman Mary Bono, 
Congressman George Brown, Congressman Hunter, and the entire Salton Sea 
Task Force, Senator Kyl and Senator Chafee.
  Scientists have warned that the Salton Sea will be a dead sea within 
fifteen years. This legislation is an integral step to ensure that we 
avoid such a disaster.
  I am pleased that my House and Senate colleagues have agreed to this 
necessary and important legislation that will not only benefit 
Californians and our natural heritage, but will also

[[Page S12906]]

carry on the legacy of Representative Bono.

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