Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 14 hrs ago
Lithium plans in California’s Imperial Valley raise concerns over water
Companies are pursuing lithium beneath the Salton Sea in California’s dry Imperial Valley, where lithium-rich brine lies underground.
Lithium is used in batteries for electric vehicles, and developers say extraction could bring jobs and investment to the area.
Imperial County officials have approved two mines and are promoting direct lithium extraction, a newer method described as cleaner than traditional mining.
But the region faces rising heat and drought, making water increasingly scarce.
The projects’ water needs raise questions about who controls local supplies and who benefits from extraction.
Many proposed U.S. lithium mines are near communities facing economic and social hardship, and Imperial County is among them.
Residents already deal with pollution, including dust that blows from a vacant lot into nearby schoolyards.
The companies and officials promise a renewable-energy hub, but the sources do not say when the projects will begin operating.
Lithium companies are pursuing extraction from brine beneath California’s Salton Sea, raising concerns about pressure on scarce water in Imperial Valley.
Imperial County officials have approved two mines and launched a proposal to use direct lithium extraction.
Developers say the projects could bring hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars to the area.
Residents face existing environmental and economic burdens, while the region’s water supplies are increasingly scarce.
A joint investigation found that nearly two-thirds of proposed and developing U.S. mines are near socially and economically vulnerable communities.
- Who
- Lithium companies, Imperial County officials, local residents and advocates.
- What
- Plans to extract lithium from brine beneath the Salton Sea are raising concerns about water demands.
- When
- The article was published on October 11, 2026; it does not give dates for the approvals.
- Where
- Imperial Valley, in Imperial County, California, near the Salton Sea.
- Why
- Lithium is needed for batteries powering electric vehicles, while extraction could add pressure to scarce water supplies.
Lithium developers and officials
Local residents and advocates
Project benefits
Lithium developers and officials
Developers say the projects will bring hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars to the area.
Local residents and advocates
Residents face added pressures in a region already burdened by pollution and economic hardship.
Water and extraction
Lithium developers and officials
Officials and companies are advancing lithium projects using direct lithium extraction, described as a cleaner alternative to traditional mining.
Local residents and advocates
The region’s water is increasingly scarce, and the industry’s water demands raise concerns over who benefits and who bears the costs.
They buy it up and leave it, just waiting for the opportunity
the most sustainable lithium and power project in the world
Imperial County officials greenlit two mines and launched a proposal to use direct lithium extraction.
At least half a dozen new U.S. mines are expected to extract lithium, with another 13 soon to follow.
- Location
- Salton Sea, Imperial County, California
- Approved mines
- 2
- Expected U.S. lithium mines by 2030
- At least half a dozen, with another 13 soon to follow
- Proposed lithium mines worldwide
- Roughly 540
- Projects near vulnerable communities
- Nearly two-thirds of proposed and developing U.S. mines
Sources
Related news
Researchers map hair-like sensory cells across squid bodies
Bellbird and Seriema Among the Loudest Birds Measured
Survey finds only 83 mature cheetahs across a vast area of South Africa
British Columbia rogue wave was nearly three times taller than nearby waves
Detached sea cucumber tissue remained active for more than three years
New book examines the survival skills of 75 fierce forms of nature
Researchers confirm a new giant waterlily species in Colombia
Air pollution reaches ‘very poor’ levels in towns near Manaus
Showers and morning fog forecast in parts of Türkiye
Young Puerto Rican parrot rescued from invasive boa
Warm, mostly sunny weather forecast across the Netherlands this week
