The Salton Sea's Predicament

CLIP XX - VMP - North Shore

SLIDE 1

In 1905, a diversion was made on the Colorado river near its mouth, in Mexico, for the purpose of conveying water to irrigate lands in the Imperial valley, California.

The diversion went sour and the Colorado river changed course, flowing north toward the Salton Depression, with its lowest point at -287 feet below sea level, to form the Salton Sea.

By 1907, the flow was finally controlled, but the accident made it patently clear that the Salton Depression could hold a lot of water.

CLIP 3 - SS

SLIDE 2

Since 1928, the Salton Sea has been the repository for the agricultural runoff of the Imperial valley.

A mixture of salts and other chemicals have been flowing into the sea for nearly a century.

A balance between runoff and evaporation keeps the sea from drying up, while the salts continue to concentrate.

CLIP 6 - SS

SLIDE 3

The salts entering the Salton Sea can be traced to:

  • The old natural salt present in the soils of the Imperial valley,

  • The old artificial salt brought in with the Colorado river water,

  • The new natural salt produced as a byproduct of irrigation, and

  • The new artificial salt leached as a result of excessive fertilization.

CLIP 7 - SS

SLIDE 4

Currently the Salton Sea is used as:

  • A repository for agricultural runoff,

  • A resource for fisheries and outdoor recreation, and

  • A resource for wildlife.

These uses are all artificial, because in the absence of agricultural runoff, evaporation produces a dry lake bed.

CLIP 10 - VMP - East Shore

SLIDE 5

The Salton Sea restoration aims to reduce its salinity, currently about 30% saltier than the ocean and increasing.

A leading proposal would accumulate the salts in a smaller portion of the sea, while reducing the salt content of the remaining larger portion.

This solution is unsustainable because the salts are not being physically removed, assuring that future generations will have to cope with the ever increasing amount of salts.

Text: Victor M. Ponce

Music: Fernando Oñate

Camera: Juan Villaseñor

Editor: Flor Pérez

Credits: http://saltonsea.sdsu.edu

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