South Coast AQMD expands dust monitoring in the Coachella Valley
Cynthia White
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (KESQ) – The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is taking action on expanding its dust monitoring capabilities to better understand and address dust (particulate matter-PM10) challenges in the Coachella Valley.
The strong desert winds that blow through the valley stir up and carry dust across the region, affecting air quality, public health, and quality of life.
South Coast AQMD has installed a high-resolution environmental camera in San Jacinto State Park that uses imagery and AI-supported analysis to track dust emissions and movement in the northwestern area of the valley.
In partnership with UC San Diego, a second camera operated by the university on Toro Peak overlooks the area from Indio to the north shore of the Salton Sea which monitors and tracks dust in that region.
The Toro Peak camera is part of the ALERTCalifornia and High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN) network. ALERTCalifornia is a public safety program that works to understand wildfires and other natural hazards and determine short and long-term impacts on people and the environment.
“I have been working with South Coast AQMD on increased airborne dust since Hurricane Hilary, and these two cameras are new steps in these efforts,” said V. Manuel Perez, Riverside County Supervisor and South Coast AQMD Governing Board member. “They will help us pinpoint where the dust is coming from and allow us to focus remediation efforts.”
South Coast AQMD is also working with UC Riverside to guide targeted dust-mitigation actions with field measurements, satellite analysis, and computer modeling. Information gathered from the cameras will help this work in developing more precise strategies to reduce dust emissions and improve regional air quality.
On November 6, South Coast AQMD and Supervisor V. Manuel Perez hosted a Dust Summit featuring community input, scientific presentations, and updates on current and future dust-mitigation efforts to address the challenges in the Coachella Valley.
The installation of the two cameras is another step towards actions to reduce dust while medium and longer-term solutions advance.
Real-time images of dust conditions monitored by the cameras can be seen on the Coachella Valley Dust Monitoring website. For more information on the Coachella Valley dust monitoring cameras, including access to real-time images, visit www.aqmd.gov/cvcameras.