Eric & I camped near the Salton
lake," in January, 2014.
We were struck by the area's stark beauty.
The state's largest lake
(35 miles long & 15 miles
wide) was created by
heavy rains & 16 months
of flooding from canals
built to irrigate the Imperial
Valley in 1905 & 1906.
The "accidental lake" flooded an old salt bed. Salts in the soil dissolved into lake. Agricultural runoff, laden with salts, were channeled into this land locked lake.
The beauty of the Salton Sea made it a popular resort area. State parks were built along the shoreline. The crowds came, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the Rat Pack. The Pointer Sisters and Beach Boys performed at the lake in the 1960s. According to locals, there was a party every day along the Salton Sea.
The "accidental lake" also attracted wildlife. Each winter, migrating birds come here by the millions.
Snow Geese feast on grasses
planted for them.
The parties went on and on. More and more migrating birds arrived at the Salton Sea's shoreline. And then....
Tropical Storm Kathleen (1976)
& Hurricane Doreen (1977)
flooded the Salton Sea,
destroying shoreline property;
washing away marinas &
yacht clubs.
Agricultural run off fed algae
blooms which consumed oxygen
in the lake, leading to fish die-offs.
One of he many Tilapia
that wash up on the
shoreline.
The stench from the die-offs drove shoreline dwellers and visitors away. At times, the fetid odor inundates Los Angeles, 150 miles to the nortwest. Evaporation in South California's heat lowers the Salton Sea's water level, and the lake continues to gets saltier. A San Diego State University College of Sciences report lists the lake's salinity level at 25% higher than ocean water.
The area's ecosystem is changing as the lake becomes saltier. Salt water fish, brought in when the lake became too salty for fresh water fish, are dying. Migrating birds are losing a major food source. Naturally occurring botulism has caused bird die-offs. How much longer will the Salton Sea's ecosystem support the birds that arrive here each winter?
The Salton Sea Authority was set up in 1993 to restore the lake and its ecosystem.
Efforts have been hamstrung by lack of resources. An now, the complicated history of this lake is becoming even more complex...
California's drought started in 2011. In its fourth year, the state's urban areas with strained water sources look farther afield to sustain the municipalities' needs. Starting in 2018, more rural water will be sent to urban areas. Water from the Imperial Valley will be diverted to San Diego County and the Coachella Valley.
Farmers in the Imperial Valley are using less water to raise their crops because of mandatory water restrictions. The Salton Sea, which is fed by agricultural runoff, will receive less water. With less water going into the lake and ongoing evaporation in the hot Southern California climate, the Salton Sea will continue to shrink. And, its ecosystem will continue to deteriorate.
The deserted, salt incrusted
shoreline at Bombay Beach
Winds stir up dust from the drying lake bed and residents are being impacted by changing air quality. People living near the Salton Sea have higher levels of asthma than other parts of the state. As the Salton Sea continues to shrink, winds will stir up more dust, spreading more particulates. Some fear increases in respiratory ailments in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.
I don't know what the future holds for the Salton Sea, but right now, things look bleak.
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