Basis of Design Report – Species Conservation Habitat

The Species Conservation Habitat (SCH) project provides shallow water habitat to support fish and wildlife dependent upon the Salton Sea that is being lost due to salinity increases and the declining water surface elevation. The Project is located at the southern end of the Salton Sea (Sea) in Imperial County, California. Through the environmental review process, a Preferred Alternative was selected that encompasses 3,770 acres on both sides of the New River. The Project would include water supplies, berms to contain the water, and various other support facilities.

The early start construction of the project is to develop habitat consistent with the EIS/EIR preferred alternative that is scaled down to fit the level of implementation funding currently available. The design described in this report is for early start project (Project) of the SCH and is limited to the 640 acres located within the bay on the east side of the New River. This report provides a summary of the primary design features and considerations associated with the habitat development. A more detailed discussion of the background, purpose, goals, design elements, Preferred Alternative, and Project impacts can be found in the 2011 draft EIS/EIR.