Senate Passes Funding Bills for Coachella Valley Flood Prevention, Salton Sea Projects

The U.S. Senate has passed three appropriation bills that will direct approximately $6 million in federal funding to Coachella Valley community projects, according to the office of Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz. The legislation now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law.

The funding supports two main initiatives: the North Cathedral City Regional Stormwater Project and wetlands restoration at Bombay Beach near the Salton Sea.

The Cathedral City project aims to prevent storm flooding in the region—a priority that intensified after Tropical Storm Hilary caused widespread damage, flooding homes and disrupting traffic on the interstate and local roads.

"The damage that a storm can cause in our Coachella Valley is significant," Ruiz said when the House passed the bills earlier this year. "This project will prevent another storm from hurting those same homes and residents."

The Bombay Beach project will work to reduce dust pollution from the Salton Sea's receding shoreline, which poses health risks, particularly for residents with asthma and chronic lung conditions.

The House passed the funding bills earlier, and Senate approval clears the final legislative hurdle before presidential action.