The Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is the result of a man-made environmental disaster that occurred between 1905 and 1907, when improper management of irrigation routes from the Colorado River caused it to flow unchecked into the Salton Sink for some two years. It has since become home, or a resting stop to over 400 species of birds.

90 percent of the entire inflow to the Sea is agricultural runoff from the Imperial, Coachella, and Mexicali Valleys. This inflow carries nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates, which support the rich and abundant life in the Sea. The inflow also carries an abundance of salt (and, thus, the Sea’s name). Paradoxically, the nutrients that provide such an abundant source of food for fish are at levels that alter the available oxygen in the water. Its salt content, which causes water vessels to be more buoyant, and thus the fastest lake in the nation to boat upon, is compromising the reproductive ability of fish and, thus, their survival. Without fish, the hundreds of species of birds that rely on fish for food, and the economic status of the Sea as a productive fishery, would be threatened.


	The Salton Sea, in Riverside County, California
		What is this strange, desolate shorline one stumbles upon when following highway 111 south, out of Palm Springs, California ? Eventually you may find yourself gazing at what could be a movie set about our apocalyptic future, but it's here, today. The Salton Sea is the largest body of water in California. Sounds like a blast....a huge lake in the middle of the desert. So why are there dead fish floating around the edges? And what's that smell?
	The Salton Sea is the result of a man-made environmental disaster that occurred between 1905 and 1907, when improper management of irrigation routes from the Colorado River caused it to flow unchecked into the Salton Sink for some two years. It has since become home, or a resting stop to over 400 species of birds. 90 percent of the entire inflow to the Sea is agricultural runoff from the Imperial, Coachella, and Mexicali Valleys. This inflow carries nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates, which support the rich and abundant life in the Sea. The inflow also carries an abundance of salt (and, thus, the Sea’s name). Paradoxically, the nutrients that provide such an abundant source of food for fish are at levels that alter the available oxygen in the water. Its salt content, which causes water vessels to be more buoyant, and thus the fastest lake in the nation to boat upon, is compromising the reproductive ability of fish and, thus, their survival. Without fish, the hundreds of species of birds that rely on fish for food, and the economic status of the Sea as a productive fishery, would be threatened.	The Salton Sea Authority has recognized the Sea’s challenges and has begun the restoration process, to not only sustain the Sea, but also revitalize it as an environmental and economic wellspring.