The Salton Sea
The Salton Sea has been deteriorating over the years due to water disappearing at a rate quicker than the amount of rain for that area. This area had plans to be a booming resort town but has instead turned into a reminder of deep rooted environmental and humanity problems.
Recently I traveled to California to visit some National Parks and document the realities of the west. On the way to Joshua Tree, my husband was doing some research on the area and found this lake. It seemed fascinating as he was reading it. Prior to going full time freelance, I worked educating a few farm and ranch communities about water resources in the Midwest for an entity of the State Government. While doing this work I learned a lot of behind the scenes of water controls, groundwater, surface water and how essentially water is a currency. It doesn’t just show up in our faucets or fields. It is owned, it is fought over, and there is only so much of it. The health of water determines the health of a community, the health of the ecosystem and the health of the world.
With this knowledge, you may understand the importance of the photos I am about to show you and the meaning of it on a much larger scale. All of this information is from observations and the brief research I have done. There are links below if you would like more in depth information on this topic. I do not claim to be an expert, only an observer so that those in my circle can become aware of the fragile environments surrounding us.
The Salton Sea is located in Southern California and is fed primarily by runoff from agriculture in the Imperial and Coachella Valley. It is starting to disapear due to several theories such as, climate change, more effecient farming, and the lack of water coming from the Colorado River. The Salton Sea was an accidental lake created by flooding from the Colorado River in the early 1900’s. It created an oasis in the desert to not only many migratory birds but soon attracted the white, rich crowd and all that comes with it. In the pictures below, there are photos showing the start of infrastructure, yet not the completion of it. As driving through this area, I began to feel saddened by the realities of the “American Dream” and what it was built on. My husband pulled up the google maps while driving through, and noticed the many streets as though there were large neighborhoods, yet as I looked around, all I saw was empty horizon, blowing sand, patchy grasses, yellow water hydrants, never been used power lines and green street signs standing over the horizon.
Surrounding the lake are many different types of farms. While I understand the importance of farms and the jobs they provide, there should be controls and educational programs in place to prevent land overuse, water pollution and aquifer pollution. I am unaware of the controls in this area for dumping, but while driving around the lake, I saw palm tree farms, fruits and many, many farms surrounding the dying lake. While walking around the outside, I could smell the dangers that were lurking in the lake thus being blown around in the air from the soils that used to be covered by water. The combination of pesticides and high salt concentration has created huge issues that are non reversal for this environment and the communities in the area. In the American midwest there are many man made lakes. Often times the surface water area is not only created for recreation but also for water use for irrigation or flood control depending on the region. Often in the summer there will be signs about algae blooms and to not swim in the water. This is often created from pesticide or chemical runoff from yards. Imagine, the impact if huge farms in the past were using a variety of harmful chemicals, the settlement of those chemicals in the soil and now the wind blowing that dried soil.
While these photos look deserted, and this issue may seem like an issue of the past, as we continued driving, there seemed to be life and livelihood. The majority of the people who reside in this region now, are Mexican immigrants and Native tribes according to an article written by the University of California, Riverside, 2023. This is such a huge issue as living in this area can cause respratory issues for those living in and around the Salton Sea. Due to the lack of health of the land and desire to want to live in this region, land is still for sale for $10,000.00 as you will see photos of billboard ads.
I have seen first hand what living in conditions not as obvious as this one, but almost as desolate and forgotten about as the Salton Sea are like, and I must say, it is normalized, but should not be. So many people working harder than most of us ever have, are living life with very little resources, support and are constantly fighting a system that was not built in their favor.
For more information please refer to the links below. While we were there it did seem that they were implementing some shore restoration projects to encourage plant growth and reduce wind blowing dirt. It does seem that those who still reside in the area care this area. If visiting, please be respectful of those who still call this home. Please note this is not a political statement, this is a real life occurrence and observation affecting real people.
Resources:
Route 50,2022
