The Department of Interior said Monday that it will spend $250 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds on cleanup around the drying Salton Sea, a Southern California lake that has suffered from the drought crisis.

According to a press release from the department, the funding "will accelerate implementation of dust suppression and aquatic restoration efforts."

"Historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act will help to support the Imperial and Coachella Valley and the environment around the Salton Sea, as well as support California's efforts to voluntarily save 400,000 acre-feet a year to protect critical elevations at Lake Mead," said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau.

Many politicians and environmentalists have been pushing for funding for years due to dangerous toxicity. If the lake completely dries up it will leave behind a salty, toxic dust that can cause serious respiratory problems for area residents.

The move comes as many environmentalists also want to see funds directed to cleaning up and restoring water levels in the Colorado River. California said it would stop partial reliance on the Colorado River only with attention being put on the Salton Sea, the largest sea in the state.

"It's kind of a linchpin for the action we need to see on the Colorado River," Wade Crowfoot, California's natural resources secretary, told the Associated Press.

"Finally, we are all in agreement that we can't leave the Salton Sea on the cutting room floor, we can't take these conservation actions — these extraordinary measures — at the expense of these residents," Crowfoot added.

The situation with the Salton Sea has been deemed an "environmental catastrophe." The Salton Sea was once considered a booming tourist destination and attraction before its environmental issues.

The money from the funding will be used to mitigate the effects of less water flowing into the sea due to an overall decrease in farming in the area. The Salton Sea was mainly refilled with runoff water from the farms.

"The receding Salton Sea continues to threaten the health of neighboring communities as toxic elements like arsenic and selenium are exposed and spread by strong desert winds," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a press release Monday.

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., called the move by the Department of Interior, "the most meaningful federal investment at the Salton Sea in history, allowing us to more effectively address the public health and environmental disasters at the Salton Sea."