3/19/26
Dear Mayor Mallotto & Rancho Mirage City Council Members:
As a constituent residing in Rancho Mirage, I would like to encourage you to renew your commitment to supporting the most sustainable and complete solution for the drying Salton Sea, which is to import water from the Sea of Cortez in Mexico or the Pacific Ocean. City councils of all nine Coachella Valley cities, the general membership of the Torres Martinez Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the Board of Trustees of College of the Desert have previously all voted in favor of this project. Yet state officials of the Salton Sea Management Plan and the UC Santa Cruz review panel have turned their back on this solution, refusing to even give it an objective analysis . Meanwhile, Arizona appears to be moving forward with this solution.
The Salton Sea should be considered part of the Colorado River watershed, but it is being forgotten in the Colorado River water negotiations, and it should be factored in because the drying sea is creating an environmental disaster that is negatively impacting the environment, health and air quality in the Coachella Valley. I believe that if the sea continues to decline, it will have negative long-term impacts on our economy, specifically property values and tourism, as well as the health of residents and visitors.
I am asking you to reintroduce the City Council's resolution because the only way to sufficiently restore the Salton Sea is to import ocean water and desalinate it. This could refill the sea, give new life to its deteriorating ecosystem and minimize dependence on the Colorado River. There is simply not enough water in the Colorado River and other existing fresh water sources to meet even minimal requirements across the West.
Ocean water importation would also be a major tool in the fight against climate change by preventing massive new emissions of greenhouse gases coming from the Salton Sea's expanding dry lakebed .
Please review and update the attached Resolution, and make public your support for ocean water import to address the dangerous scarcity of water across our region, the state of California, and a major portion of the West.
Thank you for your efforts and your consideration.
Sincerely ,
Susan St Louis
16 Clancy Lane S, Rancho Mirage
RESOLUTION NO. 2019-42
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE,
CALIFORNIA, DECLARING ITS SUPPORT FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF
THE CONCEPT OF IMPORTING ALL WATER IMPORT ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING
SALT WATER AS A FEASIBLE LONG TERM MEASURE TO REMEDY AND/OR
ABATE THE FURTHER DECLINE OF THE SAL TON SEA
WHEREAS, the City of Rancho Mirage ("City") is a charter city and a political subdivision of the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the benefits of protecting and improving public health, air quality , and wildlife habitat will also increase the opportunities for economic development and active and passive recreational activities ; and
WHEREAS, California law requires the California Natural Resources Agency to develop a Salton Sea plan in cooperation and consultation with local agencies; and WHEREAS, the City of Rancho Mirage desires to improve the public health, economic opportunity and overall quality of life of the disadvantaged communities around the Salton Sea ; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Rancho Mirage has considered in the context of an open and public Study Session the potential of importing salt water as a feasible component for remedying and/or abating the rate of decline of the Salton Sea; and
WHEREAS, City of Rancho Mirage supports a comprehensive analysis and review of all water import alternatives, including salt water as a long-term solution for the restoration of the Salton Sea; and
WHEREAS, City of Rancho Mirage respectfully requests that an analysis of water import be incorporated into the State's SSMP Plan .
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE,
CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals.
That the Recitals set forth above are true and correct.
Section 2. Consideration of Water Import Alternatives Such As But Not Limited to Salt Water
That the City of Rancho Mirage hereby supports a comprehensive analysis and review of all water import alternatives , including salt water as a long -term so lution for the restoration of the Salton Sea, and that an analysis of water import be incorporated into the State's SSMP Plan .
Section 3. Severability.
That should any provision, section , paragraph, sentence or word of this Resolution be rendered or declared invalid by any final court action in a court of competent jurisdiction or by reason of any preemptive legislation , the remaining provisions, sections, paragraphs, sentences or words of this Resolution as hereby adopted shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 4. Repeal of Conflicting Provisions.
That all the provisions heretofore adopted by the City Council that are in conflict with the provisions of this Resolution are hereby repealed .
Section 5. Effective Date.
That this Reso lu tion shall take effect upon its adoption.
Section 6. Certification.
That the City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolut ion and enter it into the book of original resolutions .
[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
2 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this 18th day of July, 2019 .
CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE
-<. Iris Smotrich, M~yor
ATTEST:
, ..-
Kristie Ramos , City Clerk
3 STATE OF CALIFORNIA)
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE)
CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE)
CERTIFICATION
I, Kristie Ramos , City Clerk of the City of Rancho Mirage, California , do hereby certify that Reso lution No . 2019 -42 was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Rancho Mirage , Ca lifornia, at a regu lar meeting thereof held on the 18°1 day of July 2019, by the following vote :
AYES :
NOES :
ABSENT :
ABSTA IN :
Hobart, Kite, Smotrich, Townsend, Weill.
None .
None .
None .
4 Kristie Ramos
City Clerk
\