A new slate of officers will assume leadership positions of the Board of Directors at the Salton Sea Authority (SSA) to guide the joint powers agency in what promises to be a dynamic year of progress toward recovery for the Sea.

Officers appointed by the SSA Board for the new term effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 are:

• President – Alex Cardenas, Imperial Irrigation District Director

• Vice President – V. Manuel Perez, Riverside County Supervisor

• Secretary – Luis Plancarte, Imperial County Supervisor

• Treasurer – Altrena Santillanes, Councilmember of Torres Martinez Band of Desert Cahuilla

“I am extremely pleased to be selected board President of the SSA and I look forward to building upon the positive momentum occurring at the Salton Sea,” stated Alex Cardenas.

This SSA Board action follows a year of unprecedented progress in securing renewed state commitment to funding ($47 Million from Proposition 68) for specific Salton Sea projects. This investment is in addition to state commitment of $206 million to start phase 1 of the Perimeter Lake at New River, a 3770 acre Species Conservation Habitat project, scheduled to launch later this year.

“As Director Cardenas steps into the President office for the Authority, there is enormous momentum to create a healthier and more prosperous future for the Sea, based on historic consensus on feasible projects along with unprecedented state funding that can be leveraged to secure new federal opportunities to improve the Sea,” observed Phil Rosentrater, GM/Executive Director for the SSA.

The SSA is a Joint Powers Authority comprised of Riverside County, Imperial County, Coachella Valley Water District, Imperial Irrigation District, and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. The SSA by-laws call for annual rotation of board officers prior to the start of a new fiscal year.

The SSA is empowered to work in consultation and cooperation with the state of California Natural Resources Agency to restore the Salton Sea. As the largest inland lake in the state of California, the Salton Sea is a vital rest stop for nearly two thirds of all migratory waterfowl species traveling the Pacific Flyway. The Sea’s ecosystem and economy are threatened by rising salinity levels and lowering water elevations.