Despite the ending of mitigation water flows at the end of 2017, total estimated inflows to the Salton Sea remain stable overall. In 2022, total inflow was 1,043 thousand acre-feet, lower than the inflow in 2021 and approximately the same as the inflow in 2019 but some studies suggest that by 2028 that number is likely to increase to an estimated 48,300 acres. While recent inflows (2016–2023) have remained relatively stable, they are nonetheless much lower than the rate of evaporative loss from the surface of the Sea. For this reason, the Sea continues to decline in elevation, and the salt concentration of the water will continue to increase over time, thereby threatening fish, birds, and wildlife. The receding sea will also expose more lakebed, leading to greater dust emission and posing a public health risk to Imperial and Riverside Counties.

Within the last forty years, numerous plans and projects had been brought forward with little success due to conflicting efforts and funding constraints. But, the most current effort to improve air quality and preserve fish, birds, and wildlife is the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP).