After 1999, the lake began to shrink as local agriculture used the water more efficiently so less runoff flowed into the lake. As the lake bed became exposed, the winds sent clouds of toxic dust into nearby communities where Latinos make up the majority of the population. Smaller amounts of dust reached into the Los Angeles area and people there could sometimes smell an odor coming from the lake. The state is mainly responsible for fixing the problems, as California lawmakers pledged to fund air-quality management projects in conjunction the signing of the 2003 agreement to send more water to coastal cities. Local, state, and federal bodies had found minimal success dealing with the dust, dying wildlife, and other problems for which warnings had been issued decades before. As 40% less water began flowing into the lake at the beginning of 2018 and local agencies declared a health emergency due to the dust, the state minimally funded and developed the Salton Sea Management Program. After a slow start and some small projects, construction started a $206.5 million project on the delta of New River building ponds and wetlands on this highly polluted river on the southern bank of the sea early in 2021.