District Sues To Halt Colorado River Drought Plan Over Salton Sea

"It's not over yet. The Imperial Irrigation District has sued to halt a sweeping Colorado River drought plan that was signed in to law by President Trump on Tuesday. Officials with the sprawling, sparsely populated rural water district in southeastern California say the Salton Sea was wrongly left out of the plan.

IID holds among the oldest and largest rights to water from the river.

The petition, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges violations of the California Environmental Quality Act by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and names the Coachella Valley, Palo Verde and Needles water districts as well. It asks the court to suspend the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan until a thorough environmental analysis has been completed."

Janet Wilson reports for the Palm Springs Desert Sun April 17, 2019.

Source: Palm Springs Desert Sun, 04/18/2019