The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has penalized the Imperial Irrigation District.

The EPA has announced a settlement with the IID for violations of the Clean Water Act related to polluting wetlands around the Salton Sea. Under the settlement, Imperial Irrigation District will pay a $299,857 penalty and provide mitigation to offset the harm to the environment. In November of 2020, inspectors from the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspected IID's construction of drain banks in the Salton Sea area and found that activities had resulted in the discharge of sediment to about 1 acre of wetlands. The discharge also impacted approximately 20 acres of wetlands by severing a connection with Morton Bay, which drains in the Salton Sea. In addition to paying the nearly 300-thousand-dollar penalty, the IID will develop a plan for removal of the sediment and restoration of the water connection to Morton Bay. According to the EPA, if the IID is not able to restore the impacted site, they would need to establish 63 acres of wetlands at an alternate location.