Notice of Intent to Award to Imperial Irrigation District

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The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Salton Sea Test Well Project is a mitigation effort that relates to the Salton Sea Air Quality Mitigation Program (SS AQM Program). The project will research the quantity and quality of groundwater available to implement preliminary dust control mitigation measures in priority areas on the west side of the Salton Sea (Sea) near Salton City Wash. In general, the project is a groundwater hydrology study using a test well constructed to extract an amount of water within the sustainable yield over a period of time to test the system’s response. The quality of that water will also be tested and monitored. The overarching goal of this study is to obtain information regarding the suitability of local groundwater for future dust control efforts around the Sea where fresh surface water is limited. Reclamation owns approximately 90,000 acres of land under and around the Sea, a portion of which has or will become exposed near the Project area over the next ten years as the Sea declines. As it does, windblown dust from the exposed lakebed is anticipated to pose health risks to local residents. Salton Sea levels are projected to steadily decline due to a combination of factors, including record drought conditions, water transfers, and on-farm irrigation efficiencies.

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