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SALTON CITY DUST MITIGATION & RESTORATION
AGESS Inc. and partners have entered into an agreement with a landowner south of Salton City (described below) to propose a phased dust mitigation project through a combination of accelerated brine stabilization, shallow flooding and enhanced vegetation. These technologies, alone or in combination, have potential applications along the entire Salton Sea shoreline. They also have the added co-benefits of enhancing the property for wildlife and existing vegetation. This property is characterized as a beach front property with approximately 35 acres of exposed playa with an additional 45 acres of native vegetation. Without immediate action dust exposure will increase. Proposed technologies can be applied quickly and with minimal investment at this location. These strategies are scalable to other areas of the sea after being studied and proven for effectiveness.
SALTON CITY - RIVERA KEYS
Several levels of restoration can be achieved with several berm locations, water from the Salton Sea and the use of well water can create an area of dust mitigation at low cost.
ACCELERATED BRINE STABILIZATION:
The Accelerated Brine Stabilization process will create a salt crust two to three inches thick in less than one year (at least five times more quickly than the typical Stabilization with Brine process). Once created, this thick salt crust can be expected to minimize dust and contaminants without the need for additional application of water or brine. This is particularly useful in areas of playa too salty for existing salt-tolerant vegetation and too soft for plowing of wind resistant furrows with heavy tractors. This pilot project will accelerate salt crust creation by applying Salton Sea brine pre-concentrated close to 25% salt content to the surface of exposed playa. Concentration of Salton Sea brine will be accomplished with an existing brine concentration plant installed on the shore of the Salton Sea, already operational and fully permitted, and then trucked to the proposed site.
SHALLOW PONDS:
Shallow ponds will be also be utilized in this area for immediate dust suppression through dredging of low-lying areas, Shallow ponds will allow for the expansion of potential enhance vegetation planting sites through increasing the exposure of coastline to water. This will also ensure adequate in-situ water sources for plant growth.
ENHANCED VEGETATION DUST SUPPRESSION:
Salt tolerant landscapes and Selenium extraction can be achieved through the collaborative effort of AGESS, inc. and Intrynsix Technologies Corporation, a pioneer in the use of salt-tolerant plants for phytoremediation. Together as technological innovators can create a replicable, robust system for ecological restoration of the Salton Sea. Intrinsyx’s particular landscape and farming systems uses harvestable vegetation such as Salicornia, Stanleya and Mangrove, together with particular landforming water system measures to remove salts and to vegetate exposed land in salty soils.
PURPOSE
These technological and agricultural “kit-of-parts” integrated systems will also include constant testing and monitoring to ensure that the most efficient and cost effective solutions are applied to the project and futures phases of the project. Since the off site VTE pilot plant is up and operational accelerated brine stabilization, shallow ponds and enhanced vegetation can be begin installation directly after permit issuance.