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How did I get so obsessed with California's Imperial Valley?
A quick thread, as background on my story today about a little-known election — decided by 44 votes! — that could have big ramification for the entire Colorado River Basin... https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-04-23/salton-sea-dust-voters-polls 1/
A quick thread, as background on my story today about a little-known election — decided by 44 votes! — that could have big ramification for the entire Colorado River Basin... https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-04-23/salton-sea-dust-voters-polls 1/
The Imperial Valley is a strange place. It's an almost feudal society, with an impoverished, largely Latino working class and ~500 landowning families who run the show. They grow most of America's winter vegetables, using more Colorado River water than the state of Arizona. 2/
How did Imperial get like that? A century ago, some folks in a scorching desert hundreds of miles from the Rockies started digging canals and staked their claim. In 1905 a levee burst, and the modern Salton Sea was born. History from @denisegoolsby: https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/05/14/salton-sea-history-repeats/27316763/ 3/
Today the 5 most powerful people are the elected directors of the Imperial Irrigation District. They control water and electricity. There is a constant tug-of-war between IID and the landowning farmers, who see the water as their birthright. Also check out this classic logo. 4/
A few years ago I started investigating alleged conflicts of interest in IID's energy department. My reporting ultimately led to this story, the first of many about the Sacramento-area engineering consultant ZGlobal Inc. and its founder Ziad Alaywan: https://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2017/08/09/35-m-battery-public-agency-turned-former-official-after-rejecting-3-cheaper-offers/457097001/ 5/
