Free Republic

Imperial County, a sprawling desert region three hours southeast of Los Angeles that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border, may not be what you would typically associate with Southern California. Home to ramshackle landmarks like Salvation Mountain, the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach, it’s the least populated county in the region with just 180,000 residents. But U.S. politicians are suddenly interested in this rural area for other reasons — namely, the wealth of lithium deep beneath its surface. The rare mineral used in batteries, now in particularly high demand with the rise of electric vehicles, could be enough to produce 375 million...

As we reach a total of about 1200 quakes in the last week, the swarm’s activity continues to wane. There has only been one quake over the last 24 hours that was felt – a M3.0 at 1:50am. 21 others were recorded but were too small to be felt. The chances of larger earthquakes in the area are almost back to background levels The USGS has issued their seventh statement and forecast for this swarm. Here’s part of today’s statement: “The following three scenarios describe possibilities of what could happen from 6 October to 13 October. Only one of these...

Study finds that faults beneath the Salton Sea ruptured during Colorado River floods and may have triggered large earthquakes on the southern San Andreas FaultSouthern California's Salton Sea, once a large natural lake fed by the Colorado River, may play an important role in the earthquake cycle of the southern San Andreas Fault and may have triggered large earthquakes in the past. Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Nevada, Reno, discovered new faults in the Salton Sea near the southern end of the San Andreas Fault. By examining...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President Bush will spend much of his day with Marines and sailors, attending church and joining them for lunch at the base in Twentynine Palms, CA. Last night in Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, GWB helped pull in nearly $2 million for the RNC at the Toscana Country Club. Tomorrow, after a speech on immigration in Orange County, the President heads for Las Vegas and a fundraiser for Nevada Congressman Jon Porter. From the podium, the President mentioned dignitaries in attendance such as Dug Sundheim, California Republican Party chairman; Bruce McPherson, Secretary of State; Sen....

The hurdles to an Imperial County desert airport are in sharper focus with a report on the feasibility of a maglev train from San Diego, placing costs at a minimum of $148 million a mile and one-way fares below the price of a tank of gas. The 165-page consultants' report released yesterday presents a mixed bag to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, which had kept the Yuha Desert concept on its list of airport options while the analysis was conducted on the magnetic levitation train. The cost of building the project – $15.2 billion to $18.5 billion for...

SAN DIEGO -- A civil liberties group criticized Imperial Valley College on Friday for declining to reprimand a professor who suggested to his students that Islamic terrorism could only be wiped out by eliminating the Islamic religion.

<p>Mark Twain, who reputedly said that "whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over," would understand an ongoing battle that has the Imperial Irrigation District, other Southern California water agencies, seven Western states and the federal government at each other's throats over the future of the Colorado River.</p>

<p>SALTON CITY, Calif.(AP) - The Salton Sea is California's biggest lake, yet sits in the middle of a desert. It teems with fish but is slowly dying. It was formed by accident but is now the most critical stop for migratory birds in the Pacific.</p>

CALIFORNIAKey vote on water issue at handBackup strategy includes tapping reserves, farmers By Michael Gardner COPLEY NEWS SERVICEDecember 9, 2002SACRAMENTO – Southern California appears positioned to stall a punishing water shortage even if the state fails to close a crucial deal to share the Colorado River. California's fate could be determined as early as today when a sharply divided Imperial Irrigation District board is expected to vote on a proposal to sell up to 200,000 acre-feet of water to the San Diego County Water Authority. The Imperial-to-San Diego transfer is a key piece of a seven-state agreement that requires California...