A TALE OF TWO LAKES

Salton Sea

I remember hearing about this accidental inland sea. It was the result of an attempt in the early 20th century to irrigate the desert, which went awry when a poorly built canal failed. The water that gushed out made its way into the enormous Salton Basin, inadvertently creating a shallow sea, 230 feet below sea level. Before long, the new Salton Sea had become a haunt for vacationers and sportspeople. There was camping, fishing and water sports; naturally, businesses popped up along the shores. Then, it began to go very wrong.

Minerals from the basin began to seep up into the water from the earth below, filling the water with salt, and with no outflow, the saline became more and more concentrated. On top of that, agricultural runoff, full of pesticide and fertilizer, was a significant source of water for the sea. Tourism began to dry up, just like the fish carcasses that wash up on the beach during times of mass fish deaths that are common here. Businesses