Audubon California Project Receives $5.2m for Salton Sea Restoration

Wildlife Conservation Board Grant will help fund work at Bombay Beach Wetlands

Small shorebirds forage in shallow water. — Snowy Plover and sandpipers at the Salton Sea near Niland, California. Photo: Sydney Walsh/Audubon

Published May 23, 2025

This article is from Audubon California . Audubon has 31 conservation action centers and more than 500 community and campus chapters across the U.S. serving local communities. Find your local center or chapter here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Sacramento, Calif.—May 23, 2025) – The California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has approved a grant of $5,231,066 towards Audubon California’s Bombay Beach Wetland Enhancement projects, a critical step in restoring and expanding 564 acres of wetland habitat at the Salton Sea. This project, located near the lakeside community of Bombay Beach, is a cooperative effort with the California Department of Water Resources, Imperial Irrigation District and the Bureau of Reclamation, and will help restore a vital stopover for millions of migratory birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway, including habitat for the endangered Yuma Ridgway’s Rail and desert pupfish.

The Bombay Beach Wetland Enhancement project addresses an urgent need to stabilize and restore wetland habitats at the Salton Sea. The project will enhance existing “emergent” wetlands, where desert spring outflows spill onto exposed lakebed; expand habitat in those areas; help control windblown dust; and create public access opportunities in the future.

“This grant is a monumental investment in the future of the Salton Sea, both for the wildlife that depend on it and the communities that surround it,” said Andrea Jones, director of bird conservation and interim executive director of Audubon California. “The Salton Sea is a critical stopover for migratory waterbirds, and this project will ensure that these wetlands continue to provide refuge for species facing habitat loss and climate change challenges.”

"As the Salton Sea continues to face challenges, timely, well-designed projects like this are essential—not only for restoring ecological function, but also for building long-term resilience in frontline communities,” said Camila Bautista, Salton Sea and desert program manager for Audubon California. “Residents of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys already have high rates of dust-caused respiratory ailments and yet have little access to outdoor activities. This project will directly benefit local communities and turn the Sea into an asset for them.”

The project will include the stabilization of beach berms, construction of flow structures to manage water distribution, and creation of micro-catchments to support runoff. Long-term management will be overseen by the Salton Sea Conservancy under the California Natural Resources Agency’s Salton Sea Management Program, with monitoring by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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Contact: Jason Howe, jason.howe@audubon.org

About Audubon:

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram @audubonsociety.  