The Salton Sea: A Natural Lake? Sort of.

The Salton Sea with a huge algal bloom in full swing in June 2003. This is part of a series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images showing the evolution of an algal bloom. Credit to: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC.
The Salton Sea with a huge algal bloom in full swing in June 2003. This is part of a series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images showing the evolution of an algal bloom. Credit to: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC.

The Salton Sink was a dry lakebed in 1904. In 1905 it accidentally began a new life as one of the modern world’s largest inland seas and California’s largest lake.

In 1900, projects were begun to divert water from the Colorado River into the Salton Sink to allow for irrigation and promote farming. At the same time the Imperial Canal which brought water from the Colorado River to the nearby (but higher) Imperial Valley became filled with silt from the Colorado River and could no longer handle large volumes of water.
In 1905, heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused the Colorado River to swell, and burst through a set of headgates for the Imperial Canal. The flood poured down the canal and breached an Imperial Valley dike. Two watercourses were created: the New River in the west, and the Alamo River in the east, each about 60 miles long. Over a period of about two years these two newly created rivers sporadically carried the entire volume of the Colorado River into the Salton Sink.

The Salton Sea with an algal bloom just starting on the fringes of the lake, May 28, 2003. This is part of a series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images showing the evolution of an algal bloom. Credit to: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC.
The Salton Sea with an algal bloom just starting on the fringes of the lake, May 28, 2003. This is part of a series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images showing the evolution of an algal bloom. Credit to: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC.

 

Several attempts were made to stop the water flow by dumping earth into the canal’s headgates area, but it did not work and eventually a fifteen-foot waterfall was created. The water all cut upstream and grew to a height of 80 feet before it was finally stopped. As the basin filled, the town of Salton, and Torres-Martinez Native American land were submerged.

The Salton Sink sits at 227 feet below sea level and has filled many times in the past as the Colorado River changed its course. It filled around 700 AD and created Lake Cahuilla, which lasted until about 300 years ago. Since then, occasional lakes have filled the basin, and then evaporated away. The silt from these former lakes provides the fertile farmland you can see as green surrounding the tan desert.

Ninety percent of the water coming into todays Salton Sea comes from agricultural run-off from the Imperial, Coachella, and Mexicali Valleys. The runoff is rich in salt and nutrients like phosphates and nitrates. The nutrients spur the growth of plants and algae. While the nutrients create a rich underwater food chain, the same productivity can be lethal when they trigger a large algal bloom. The vast quantities of algae consume the oxygen in the lake as they die, killing large numbers of fish.

Initially, people saw the accidental formation of the sea as an opportunity to turn the area into a tourist hot spot. In 1927, budding entrepreneur Gus Eilers opened a new resort and started boat races and inspired other young men like him to make their fortune at the sea. During the 1950’s and 60’s, the Salton Sea was a booming vacation destination. But increasing salinity, flooding from runoff, high bacteria counts, massive fish die offs and associated bird deaths put the quash on the vacation experience. Much of the sand on the beach is actually composed of fish and bird bones.

The Salton Sea is still an important place for migrating birds and there have been many plans to try and restore the ecosystem. Current thinking is to create a much smaller and more manageable Salton Sea. The central part of the sea would be allowed to almost completely evaporate, while the southern portion of the sea would be transformed into a saline habitat complex. Click here to find out about recent Salton Sea restoration activities.

  1. Sources Used

    • Algal bloom in Salton Sea California. Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC. http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=69058
    • Salton Sea. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea

About The Author

I really enjoy field trips. I love being in a cool place and having someone tell me about it. The problem is, you can’t always find a professor or park ranger-type to tell you all they know about the local rocks, plants, and history. So I decided to combine my love of things natural with mobile technology.

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2 Comments

  1. Cindy Biggs Weiss

    This is sooo interesting. I definitely want to take a tour. You have given a clear history and sense of geologic change in your description.

    Reply

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