Interfaith vigil held at the Salton Sea
An interfaith prayer vigil was held at the edge of the Salton Sea today in Desert Shores.
The event, which was a year in the making, was organized by the desert interfaith council, Eco Media, Audubon California and the City of Coachella’s Interfaith Alliance.
Representatives from Riverside County were in attendance as well as a show of support.
Interfaith council president, Dr. Paula Trimble-Familetti says that this collective event was a vigil for the parts of the Salton Sea that are lost and a call to action to preserve what remains of it.
“It's a show of solidarity with the environment, with the people who live down here and are affected so dramatically by the sea and we are showing we can come together for a common cause,” said Dr. Trimble-Familetti.
Many attendees said that the environmental and health impacts of the declining salton sea are plain to see.
One example of the environmental toll the receding sea has taken are the boatmen bugs that have infested Imperial County as the birds and fish who used to eat them have rapidly died off.
Local residents at the vigil also spoke about how pollutants from the exposed playa have caused internal bleeding, worsened asthma and other ailments within their community which lacks readily available health care.
Christian Chalifour moved near the Salton Sea in 2020 from Idyllwild. In his short time in the area, he has been struck by the sea’s rapid decline.
“There’s something to be done here-we all need to do something about this,” said Chalifour.
The State of California began Salton Sea restoration efforts nearly two decades ago but some environmental advocates say not enough has been done.
Organizations like the Salton Sea Coalition say that a possible solution to cover the toxic playa is to import water from the Sea of Cortez. Frank Ruiz, the Salton Sea program director, says that this would only be a temporary solution to a problem that needs long term results
“Trying to steal resources from other places is a colonist mentality. We need to act and live according to our means,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz says that measuring the amount of water left in the sea and avoiding adding additional water to it would be the most viable way to work towards restoration.
The Interfaith Council does not have a set date for their next event but they say given the turnout today, they are anticipating the events to grow.
