The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is expanding its dust-monitoring capabilities and working closely with regional partners to better understand and address dust (particulate matter, PM10) challenges in the Greater Palm Springs region.
Strong desert winds routinely generate and carry dust across the region, affecting air quality, public health and quality of life. PM10 is a type of air pollutant consisting of coarse particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less. The particles are small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs and include components such as dust, pollen, mold, and soot.
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 Coachella Valley. A second camera, operated by UC San Diego, as part of the Alert California and High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network, is located on Toro Peak overlooking the area from Indio to the north Salton Sea shore. A third camera is planned for the eastern portion of the valley to expand dust tracking data.
The SQMD Dust Monitoring Map for Greater Palm Springs.
“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 supplement this work to develop more precise strategies to reduce dust emissions and improve regional air quality. Real-time images from the cameras will be accessible to the public on the Coachella Valley Dust Monitoring website, allowing residents to track local dust conditions.
On November 6, Supervisor 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 presentations delivered during the Dust Summit are available at www.aqmd.gov/dustsummit. In October, the South Coast AQMD Board approved a three-part dust-reduction plan focusing on identifying major dust sources, developing targeted mitigation strategies, and funding projects to reduce emissions in the most affected areas.
The installation of these cameras is another step towards reducing dust while medium- and long-term solutions advance.
For more information on the Coachella Valley dust monitoring cameras, including access to real-time imagery, please visit: www.aqmd.gov/cvcameras.
South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news, air quality alerts, event updates and more, visit www.aqmd.gov.
