[Myrddin]

It looks like the Imperial Valley farmers are going to get screwed so San Diego can continue expanding the population of the coastal desert. The Salton Sea was a consequence of an irrigation canal overflow in 1905 that persisted for 18 months. It is not a natural inland body of water. The only reason is hasn't dried up is because of agricultural irrigation runoff.

There is only a 4 foot vertical buffer between the Gulf of California and the Imperial Valley. That will be breached one day in an earthquake. The Imperial Valley will become an extension of the Gulf of California. It will be all salt water and unfit for growing food. When that happens, the San Diego area will suddenly be catastrophically short of fresh water.

The desert city of Calipatria flies the American flag at sea level...on a flag pole that is 135 feet tall.

[Myrddin]

Correction. The protective elevation minimum is 40 feet. See link.