COACHELLA, CA – Alianza Coachella Valley, with coalition partners Loma Linda University, Sierra Club, Lideres Campesinas, and Coachella Valley Parents, announced the launch of the Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea Communities, a bold new initiative dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic opportunities for residents in the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley through actionable strategic planning. The campaign consists of mission-aligned residents, nonprofits, researchers, and civic leaders committed to creating the conditions that make it possible to have a more vibrant and prosperous Salton Sea region. Alianza also released the results from a new UCLA survey of Salton Sea residents that outlines community priorities for the region, including support for infrastructure projects that promote recreational activities, as well as environmental and public health.
Click here to watch the Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea launch video
Click here to watch the Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea launch video in Spanish
Click here to read the UCLA Report: A Vision for Thriving Salton Sea Communities
Visit the new Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea Communities website
“The Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea Communities is about taking intentional, bold action rooted in the priorities and perspectives from residents who call the Salton Sea region home,” said Silvia Paz, executive director of Alianza Coachella Valley. “By centering the voices of those most impacted, we are ensuring that solutions for environmental health, economic growth, and infrastructure development reflect the real needs of our community. This campaign is a call to action—for all of us to come together with purpose, engage in thoughtful planning, and drive change that creates a healthier, more prosperous future for everyone in the Salton Sea region.”
The Salton Sea region, encompassing both Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley, faces unique challenges related to environmental health, economic development, and community well-being. The Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea Communities seeks to address these challenges by facilitating partnerships and filling gaps in the development, financing, and community engagement processes that bring projects from ideas to completion. Through collaboration and community engagement, the campaign aims to bring about real, lasting change that promotes health and prosperity for the region.
Current projects of the Campaign include:
- Thriving Salton Sea Community Trail Network – Alianza Coachella Valley, in partnership with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and Riverside County, is advancing a trails network that includes the expansion of the CV Link into unincorporated communities with trail connectors along the way. Our vision is to begin with two connector trails in Thermal and North Shore.
- Tracking Water and Air Quality Around the Salton Sea Region – Working with Loma Linda University, UCLA, and Brown University researchers, Alianza is tracking and publishing data in real-time to keep the public informed about water and air quality levels.
- Land Use Alignment Initiative – Alianza is working with regional partners and jurisdictions to identify priorities through existing land use plans and address some of the key economic challenges facing our region: access to public funding and investment readiness.
In partnership with the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, Alianza also released A Vision for Thriving Salton Sea Communities: Findings from the Pathways to a Resilient Salton Sea Survey which presents findings from 346 surveys collected from residents of Mecca, North Shore, Thermal, Salton City, Coachella, Oasis, and Desert Shores between December 2023 and April 2024. The sample included 119 seasonal workers and 124 other adult residents, as well as 103 youths aged 11 to 17.
“The trends found in Alianza’s survey can provide the region a starting point for reimagining the Salton Sea Area by centering the needs of community members,” said Victoria Ciudad-Real, graduate student researcher at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center.
The findings reveal:
- Eighty-five percent of respondents desire access to the Salton Sea area in North Shore via Highway 111 but encounter infrastructure barriers.
- Ninety-five percent of respondents are supportive of a trail to the Salton Sea for residents and visitors.
- One third of respondents favor restoration projects in the Salton Sea region that prioritize environmental and public health..
“Alianza’s findings capture the local priorities of the residents they surveyed,” said Veronica Terriquez, director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. “Community voice is important as the region experiences climate change and new economic developments.”
Learn more about the Campaign for Thriving Salton Sea Communities by visiting ThrivingSaltonSea.com.
Media Contact: Braxton Kellogg, braxton@alianzacv.org, (208) 589-9323.
