As the Salton Sea recedes, the exposed lakebed creates two major environmental concerns: habitat loss and dust that wind can carry into nearby communities. California reached a restoration milestone in 2025 when water began filling the East Pond Expansion, part of the state's Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) Project. The East Pond Expansion covers approximately 750 acres. Together with the existing East Pond, the two ponds account for a combined area of approximately 2,000 acres.
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