MWD Offers to Swap Salton Costs for Water
Negotiators for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California offered a counterproposal in the proposed sale of water from the Imperial Valley to San Diego County that is meant to protect Metropolitan customers from being billed for environmental projects at the Salton Sea.
Metropolitan board members have insisted that the environmental costs of the sale be paid by the San Diego County Water Authority, Coachella Valley Water District and Imperial Irrigation District. But they are willing to set money aside for the Salton Sea should Imperial sell some of its mammoth share of Colorado River water to Metropolitan.
The environmental health of the ailing Salton Sea is key to the state’s water plans because federal law requires partners in any water deal to mitigate environmental damage done by such a sale. The sea exists on agricultural runoff from Imperial Valley.
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