Provided Testimony at the State Water Resources Control Board
(SACRAMENTO, CA.) – Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) provided testimony at the State Water Resources Control Board’s (State Water Board) public workshop yesterday regarding the need to have strong and clear mid and long term solutions to the endangered Salton Sea. The Board also received updates from four agencies and input from the public regarding the status of agency actions identified by the Salton Sea Task Force.
“I am appreciative of the State Water Resources Control Board convening today’s workshop which reviewed state agencies efforts to address the environmental and public health issues at the Salton Sea. I hope that after today the State Water Resources Control Board will take the necessary steps towards a more detailed plan of action, one that delineates roles, responsibilities, benchmarks and timelines for state entities involved in restoration of the Salton Sea.”
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. established the Salton Sea Task Force (Task Force) in May. The Task Force includes experts from the California Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agencies, including representatives from the State Water Board. The Task Force has sought input from tribal leaders, federal agencies, local water districts, local leaders, and other public and private stakeholders with an interest in the Salton Sea. The Task Force relied on information gathered during these meetings to produce its recommendations, which were released on October 9, 2015, and included a description of the principles necessary for a successful Salton Sea Management Program. In addition, Governor Brown appointed Bruce Wilcox as Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy at the Natural Resources Agency to oversee habitat restoration efforts along the shoreline of the Salton Sea.
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Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) serves as the Chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.
