Governing Bodies

The QSA JPA’s governing body is the Commission, which has a designated representative and alternate from each of the four QSA JPA agencies. The Commission holds quarterly meetings that include financial updates, implementation updates, and annual budget review and adoption.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The state chairs all QSA JPA meetings.

Charlton Bonham, Director California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Commissioner

Tonya Marshall, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salton Sea Program Manager
Alternate Commissioner

Roles & Responsibilities:

Develops the budget in coordination with the Habitat Conservation Plan Implementation Team (IT), which consists of representatives from CDFW, IID, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and implements the mitigation program.

Tina Shields, Water Department Manager
Commissioner

Jamie Asbury, General Manager
Alternate Commissioner

Roles & Responsibilities:

Serves as the administrative and financial arm of the QSA JPA, which includes scheduling and preparing materials for quarterly meetings, managing funds and expenses, and compiling the QSA JPA annual budget for the Commission’s consideration.

Dan Denham, General Manager
Commissioner

Alexi Schnell, Colorado River Program Manager
QSA JPA Chief Administrative Officer,
Alternate Commissioner

Roles & Responsibilities:

Serves as lead counsel for the QSA JPA.

Jim Barrett, General Manager
Commissioner

Robert Cheng, Assistant General Manager
Alternate Commissioner

Jeff Ferre, QSA JPA legal counsel
Representing Firm: Best Best & Krieger

Funding Responsibilities

Under QSA-related legislation (specifically SB 654), the three water agencies, IID, SDCWA, and CVWD, have a responsibility to fund environmental mitigation related to the QSA up to $133 million in 2003 dollars. Additionally, the three water agencies have paid $30 million in 2003 dollars as seed money for the state’s restoration program. The $30 million was provided to CDFW as part of the Salton Sea Restoration Fund. That funding, together with the $133 million, cap the three water agencies’ financial obligations and liabilities for environmental mitigation and restoration as part of the QSA. 

The state has a responsibility under the QSA-related legislation to fund mitigation costs that exceed $133 million and a responsibility to address the larger issue of restoration at the Salton Sea. 

Mitigation Projects

Key projects completed or ongoing through 2023 at the Salton Sea include:

IID Environmental staff prepare ground to plant native vegetation at the Managed Marsh Complex
IID Environmental staff water native vegetation at the Managed Marsh Complex
IID Environmental staff planting trees around Managed Marsh Complex ponds to establish vegetation
IID Environmental staff spreading seed around Managed Marsh Complex ponds to establish vegetation
IID Environmental staff takes samples from Managed Marsh Complex ponds
Excavator cleans out an IID drain to support selenium sampling event
IID Environmental staff performs vegetation monitoring around Salton Sea playa
Release of 2024 Proactive Dust Control Plan

Additional mitigation projects completed or in development in the Imperial Valley include:

Ongoing desert pupfish monitoring and conservation program
Ongoing burrowing owl conservation program
Annual marsh bird surveys and selenium monitoring within phases 1 and 2 of the Managed Marsh Complex
Completion of the Managed Marsh Complex
Selenium monitoring program within IID drains
Annual seepage recovery vegetation monitoring
Annual southwestern willow flycatcher monitoring
Public Outreach and Education Program, including a third grade focused Design-An-Ad program with Imperial Valley schools and IV Alive! Magazine
Related Documents
California Department of Fish & Wildlife
San Diego County Water Authority
CVWD Water District