Bond Act: Proposition 84
Agency of Appropriation: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Bond Statute: 75050(b)(3)
- Front-end
- In-progress
- Follow-up (Audit)
In 2003, the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) was entered into by the Coachella Valley Water District, San Diego County Water Authority, and Imperial Irrigation District in part to settle long-term disputes over Colorado River water use. To facilitate the implementation of the QSA, the state legislature passed Fish and Game Code Section 2931, which established the Salton Sea Restoration Fund (SSRF). The SSRF is administered by the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly the Department of Fish and Game). The Proposition 84 funds were deposited into SSRF and are being used for a number of different things that involve the Salton Sea. First, a large portion of the funds will be used to fund the construction of 640 acres of shallow, saline ponds at the south end of the Salton Sea, near the terminus of the New River in Imperial County. This project is called the Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) project and construction is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2016. Secondly, a portion of the Proposition 84 funds is being utilzed to fund Department of Water Resources staff, under the direction of the California Natural Resources Agency, to work on SCH, as well as the third component of the Proposition 84 funding. This third component is the Financial Assistance Program (FAP), which established $3 million for local entities to apply for grants for smaller scale pilot projects in and around the Salton Sea. These three components of Proposition 84 funding create a framework from which all future Salton Sea projects can build on.
For more information on the Salton Sea Restoration Program, refer to the California Department of Water Resources website. The website provides a schedule of public workshops, information and related documents.
The projects selected for funding under the Salton Sea Restoration Fund are required to spend grant funds according to the approved project scope and budget. The Department of Fish and Wildlife requires quarterly progress reports for all projects and will conduct site visits during construction for each development project. Payment requests will be required to include a certification by the grantee that each expense complies with requirements outlined in the grant agreement. Grantees must also submit supporting documentation for each expense, with reimbursements approved only for eligible expenses pursuant to program guidelines and contained within the approved project budget. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will also withhold up to ten percent of each payment request to be released upon project completion.
All projects funded via the Salton Sea Restoration Fund will receive a close-out visit conducted by Department of Fish and Wildlife staff at the time the project is complete and prior to releasing final funds. The purpose of the close-out field visit is to ensure all project components were completed according to program guidelines and the terms of the grant agreement, including project scope and budget. All grantees must record a document against the any project property that gives public notice of the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s rights as specified in the grant agreement. All grantees must comply with all current laws and regulations which apply to the project and submit documents summarizing total project costs and all additional funding sources.
Projects within this Program: