The Salton Sea's Complex History

Origins of the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea was created by accident in 1905 when the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal, flooding the Salton Basin for two years. This resulted in the formation of the largest lake in California. The sea would begin to evaporate and did not look to be sustainable, until irrigation runoff from farmers began to feed into the Salton Sea through irrigation drainage canals. This gave it a way to sustain itself, but its only outlet continued to be evaporation.

Rise and Fall of a Tourist Destination

In the mid-20th century, the Salton Sea became incredibly popular in the US, attracting celebrities like Elvis and boating enthusiasts. However, rising salinity, continued agricultural runoff, and declining water levels led to the beginning of the Sea's decline as it is seen today. The fish that once inhabited the ocean-like lake now were dying off in millions because of the toxicity and salinity of the lake. This also impacted the avian wildlife which fed off of these same fish. It also began to drive off any tourism to the Salton Sea, and in turn negatively impacted any real estate around the area.

Modern Environmental Challenges

Today, the Salton Sea is continuing to shrink, leading to increased exposure of dry lakebed, air pollution and habitat loss. The shores of the Salton Sea are no longer sand, they are now made up of fish bones and barnacles. Stretches of shore, just made up of dead fish carcass and overgrown barnacles. The State of California has begun some restoration efforts for the wild life, but the Sea largely remains unrestored. Unforunately, the exposed playa/lakebed will continue to contribute to the decline of the air quality, as pesticides,salt, and and other toxins have settled at the bottom of the lakebed. The same water that once helped sustain the sea, ended up being responsible for its toxic lakebed.