Miracle in the Desert: The Rise and Fall of the Salton Sea - Documentary

The Salton Sea is an unfolding environmental disaster of extraordinary magnitude. As the largest lake in California begins to dry, millions of lives are in danger as clouds of toxic dust, massive fish kills and the destruction of an entire ecosystem threatens the health of millions of underrepresented minorities in Southern California, many of who have no voice or little representation in the state legislature. If the state of California does not act quickly, it will be the worst environmental disaster of a generation and cause up to 70 billion dollars in health and other related damages to the area and its residents.

[@RadioReprised]

My family started camping at Bombay Beach in '36 and we built our house there in '53. We used it as a vacation property to Ski, fish, swim, dune buggy and ride Motorcycles. Then we moved there full time and ran a business in '73. Kathleen in '76 was a disaster for everyone and two blocks of town went under water. We asked for help from the County but were told to abandon the town. We built our own dike and walled off the flooded area and used our own money and equipment only to have the Army Corp of engineers condemn it as ''poorly built''. Ha!....so poorly built it STILL stands today and never leaked or was breached! The county still treats us as pariah while they take our tax money and we get NOTHING! The rise in water level was the real end of the dream as the State Park campgrounds were flooded and the visitors stopped coming on the big holiday weekends which destroyed us all economically. The Irrigation district let the farms dump the excess water and salt into the Sea and didn't care what it did to us. All these talks and plans are just money changing hands with Politicians profiting with no real desire to fix it. After 70 years we gave up and walked away. I will never get to pass it on to my Kid but I will always have the memories of the best times of my life in Bombay Beach and I wouldn't trade the hardships of living in the middle of nowhere for City life! Other than the 3 hours a day on a school bus, it was a fantastic place to grow up!

[@larryphillips7349]

Wow thats awesome. Atleast you got to enjoy and grow up in a awesome place that sounds like had it all. I think most us native Southern Californians (Orange County for mua) can kinda relate though. The very best place to grow up is sadly trashed now. Over everything, (crowded mostly) and just not the same. Not really a pass it down thing anymore. Atleast thats how I feel.

[@RRR-RetiredandRoadReady]

Our politicians are WORTHLESS!

[@janiceandrus3109]

So interesting

[@janiceandrus3109]

❤❤❤

[@Gl49ers]

Same

[@oscarbravo9009]

Between the Owens River Valley ecological disaster and the Salton Sea, it looks like CA has spent the better part of 100 years destroying its environment.

[@trwsandford]

Haha! The Owens valley is such a great story! Tragic and amazing at the same time.

[@mtmaniacs]

Politicians are ready, willing and able to destroy anything that doesn't fit into their agenda.

[@wholylove]

California's environment is every Earthly inhabitants environment. Wind carries.

[@trwsandford]

@@wholylove China's environment is everyone's environment.

[@wholylove]

@trwsandford This is Truth. These titles and names of places keep humans territorial to a name or title. If you see the entire Earth as your responsibility and do your part, you will see the Future and be Living in Truth. Otherwise, like all humans in the past, be stuck in the past and be false or non existent. Be Present Minded and Future Focused! The Future is here!

[@Mobxcag13]

Here in Calexico we have an avenue and an elementary school named after Rockwood. That's so cool!

[@phillipschlegel6663]

This is absolutely a wonderful video that there's people that still care

[@soowzy]

Bet a class action suit against the state and EPA would get some attention (as in PG&E over its culpability for the Hinkley groundwater contamination) , since the health hazards of toxic dust are such a wide danger, not to mention the compromized wildlife. If they can allocate multimillions on a bullet train to nowhere, they can better spend money to save lives. Salton Sea is so far out in the boonies that Sacramento thinks no one will notice or care. I grew up in Palm Springs and remember our family fishing on the sea and camping there in the 80s. This is a very important documentary and I appreciate getting a full picture of the situation.

[@phillipschlegel6663]

And I feel their pain I was there as a little kid I don't forget such a beautiful place

[@lizblock9593]

To all the people suggesting to put in plants to control dust: Good thought but the soil structure and stability has been destroyed by being inundated. Otherwise plants would have found their way to the area and grown on their own. Plants are really good at that. Plants need soil in order to live. What's left in the lake bed is just dirt.

[@Rocketman0407]

It could definitely work. You start of with the most drought resistant trees and plants and create ditches filled with water Then, slowly over time, the debris from the trees adds organic matter in the dirt, the shade from the trees cool down the area then that makes the soil be able to hold water better and longer. From there on it will attract birds and animals that will poop in the area enriching the soil further and so on. Watch the project greening the desert.

[@valerieannshort7109]

I’m from Austin, Texas. A city that huge is huge on Xeriscaping, as is the rest of the state. Landscaping with little or no water. California is big on watering lawns. That’s one place where the water is going. Actually down the drain. Get the mindset and culture to change. You live in the desert, you want your green grass and you are running out of water.

[@maxmegamax2174]

Incredibly well made and interesting documentary, I learned a lot from this! I found this because I was learning some history about the Colorado river and I was looking around on google maps and I wondered where all the water went, I learned about the canals and how the river have changed course, then I searched for the salton sea and found this documentary, very interesting!

[@rosaspanjol673]

Very fascinating documentary 👍,..thank you 🙏I learned a lot.

[@MrPerfesser]

Brilliantly done with the proper sense of urgency. Couldn't help but notice that the stock footage at 45:02 supposedly of Eisenhower Medical Center is actually of DC EMS and MPD units at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Taylor Streets NW in Washington DC. Since I live in DC, that kinda stuck out. But thank you for an outstanding documentary.

[@brianbean7024]

Saltin Sea is a truly special place. Have visited many times over the last 20 years. I have read about proposed lithium mining in the area I wonder if the states lack of effort has something to do with that.

[@ProctorsGamble]

🤔

[@mattimaranda9638]

These guys really knew how to mustache.

[@pjgraves03]

As a Cali native having skiied at Salton Sea many times. Viewing this is disturbing yet not near so much as the memories of years of politicians who did nothing to better a beautiful area. I'm glad I moved as I see the truth from a distance.

[@janellestoermer5479]

This was very interesting. I am from the Los Angeles area, and knew very little about the Salton Sea until I explored it on my own as an adult. It is fascinating. I wish I could have been there during its heyday in the mid-20th century. Even I my childhood in the 80s, it would have had more going on than today, but I really didnt know about it. I wish I had. Michelle's story about Marie made me cry. She asked why no one was doing anything about this. Why indeed?

[@kathrynchamberlin3405]

This is a very good telling of human opportunism and how it seldom overrides what Mother Nature has to say.

[@waynekaczmarek946]

Greedy people make us sick! It's how the entire country is falling apart! And these same greedy people turn it around and find other's to blame,and then it comes out of the average person's pockets, man it's enough to make a person mad

[@changbou1093]

Only way to save is to connect Salton Sea to Sea of Cortez, the biggest engineering, economic project. It may provide a miraculous solution for border problem, CA/Mexico economy and potential environmental disaster. Let’s start the biggest man made project on this planet! Salton to Cortez!

[@allermenchenaufder]

A wish list.

[@nealm6764]

And add the Sea of Cortez to the disaster as it slowly receded from being perpetually drained. Not a great idea.

[@3985uprr]

I am from Long Island, and the only time I ever actually got to see the Salton Sea was during a Santa Ana and I wasn’t really able to enjoy the experience of seeing it that closely but I did detect that it had seen better days

[@exkinky]

I am not sure about this, you cant fight nature, this sea is not supposed to be there, dust storms are part of the desert. II am sorry for all the people that live there but all it needs is water and the big cities are not going to give it up. I have been there many times, I have even been in the water and I love the desert.

[@curtwalters8328]

I agree. It is man made. The dust would probably be worse without it. Yes, it is a haven for migratory birds. What did they do before we created it?

[@exkinky]

@@curtwalters8328 the birds can go to the other lake in central California that came back because it is a natural lake that they tried to make farm land on, you can’t mess with mother nature.

[@curtwalters8328]

Thank you for your comment 😊

[@markfitzurka9995]

Great ideas at the end of the film. I live in El Centro with a 8 year old and you would never guess he has problems with his breathing. What a surprise!!! All I want to know now is how do I get a Salton sea yacht club hoodie or long sleeve Tee shirt. Maybe make some money for the cleanup with shirt sales. JK. But seriously I would definitely rock them if they sale them

[@whig01]

Pretty sure if you connect the Salton basin to the Sea of Cortex, El Centro is underwater.

[@rebeccalowe-hodges8162]

been there many times. It's so sad. BUT. A sea is NOT supposed to BE there. sometimes Land will NOT be subject to man's whims.

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

This was a man made lake. Owens Lake was a natural made lake. Totally different.

[@ChaundaLee]

Really interesting. Great documentary. One thing... The ads are way too loud. They are louder than the documentary and very jarring.

[@tcupgrades]

Correction, It's nos the "Sea of cortez " it's El Mar De cortez! And it's not! "The Gulf of California" Its the Gulf of Baja California, Mexico . But what's new!

[@giannidcenzo]

Wow that's a lot of water

[@JayBobJayBob]

In November 2023, the state of California declared the Salton Sea has one of the worlds largest deposits of lithium which is used in electric gadgets such as cars and telephones. They projected a lithium mining business in the area could raise billions of dollars. This is not mentioned at all in your documentary probably because it’s just a recent development. But that lithium money could help restore the area for the current residence as well as new residence who would work extracting lithium. Also, I think the canal idea is a great one. Another thing not mentioned would be the Canal to the sea could bring cargo ships to the area. South west United States, which is basically empty land and could house millions of people and a vibrant economy. Get on it!!

[@nealm6764]

Should we act surprised when we find out the mines and excavation of the earth to get the Lithium stirred up all the toxins into the air and made things 100x worse? That in their greed they just charged full speed ahead with some half-baked schemes to get the lithium.

[@PinkyJujubean]

This is like what happened to the Aral Sea in Asia. It's an absolute eco disaster

[@valerieannshort7109]

The lady with asthma said her life is there. But she really has no life. I’ve been moving my whole life. I know no one when I get to the new place. You make new friends. You get local support. If she stays there, she’s creating her own demise. The state is not going to make anything better for her. Just move. Pack a bag, take your kids and go. Think outside the box.

[@ColonizersBlow]

She also explicitly said, she doesn’t have the money to do that.

[@TheLeamonLane]

well done!!

[@darthinfimus4450]

It shouldn't have happened in the first place! The sea was the result of developer greed in the first place. How is it that the companies and railroad responsible weren't bankrupted paying for mitigation or even reversal of the results?? MAKE THEM PAY!!! 🤬🤬🤬 ONCE AGAIN, IT IS THE TAXPAYERS WHO FOOT THE BILL AND GET TO SUFFER

[@wilelowman]

"Miracle in the Desert: The Rise and Fall of the Salton Sea". What it looked like in the 50's, 60's.

[@cliffordderouen9909]

Clifford DeRouen U S M C. If you have problematic with your breathing and so forth you should move to a place more suitable for your situation.

[@fastheartmartvideos]

Thanks for this great documentary! Hopefully, with the prospects of lithium in the area, the USA government can pay the Mexican government for rights to dig a "Sea to Sea" canal from The Sea of Cortez to the The Salton Sea. If not, all of SoCal may become a toxic cloud. I've even heard the canal could benefit Mexico's economy because towns could be built along the canal for tourists to visit etc.. I feel for the young lady and her sister with asthma. I wonder if people could make some kind of filtration system in their homes?

[@jeremiemorse8642]

This is a theory, based on recent history, to me, sounds like permitting a disaster could give the government a way to gain control and dependency over a large area. So why would they stop it?

[@RegenmeisterMo]

Cool one

[@wholylove]

1:06:28 That is destruction. Your Spirit is asking you to leave an environment that is weak, it only causes you weakness.

[@ASMR-Arboretum]

I don't really think I believe with this movie. I don't think they should save the sea. I think they should turn it back into the desert it was before. Take all the faming from there. Turn it back into what it should be. Nothing is ever said or talk about returning the land to what it really should be.

[@dcxxxx]

It's never been just a desert! There has always been periodic lakes there.

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

Any money would be better spent relocating the populations.

[@TravelNut72]

There is enough water to flood it again and make it livable

[@cliffordderouen9909]

Clifford DeRouen U S M C. You don't have to move out of the state just out of harms way.

[@1XX1]

Conclusion: Don't call a sows ear a silk purse.

[@Bazerkly]

Who ever took the water must pay!

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

So stupid to say refill these canals and everything will follow. You’re filling it from the SALTON SEA. WHICH SHRINKING.

[@Bitterrootbackroads]

Greed in the form of real estate speculators & developers requires willing buyers, who also expect to profit. When the dream dies they may lose it all, that’s life! The state of CA kicking the can down the road “until the Feds come in and fix it” means taking money from me to pay for someone else’s dreams.

[@66Madia]

😢

[@domcizek]

SAD, NO ACTION IS AN ACTION TO DO NOTHING

[@brilliant-handle]

Looking at a lung transplant and you still won't move away? I've moved ten times in the last 20 years. It's not hard. Put stuff in boxes, put on truck, drive, then unload.

[@rerkens314]

This project can make a real legacy for the mega billionaires like Bezos, Gates and Musk who are always looking for major needle movers.

[@wholylove]

1:17:08 We are capable of doing all things when we know who we get our help from. Know your Creator, the One I Know builds.

[@thomasmagray]

its the desert lmao wind blows

[@HumanBeanbag]

I blame god tbh

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

No old man, the building of the berm and filling of the canal would NOT be the END OF IT.

[@rich_edwards79]

Sadly I agree, they can refill that small area known as the 'keys' by pumping but until the rest of the Sea is restored the water behind the berm will keep evaporating and having to be periodically refilled which just isn't sustainable (unless they build a permanent pumping station, maybe powered by wind or solar.) Anyway, the whole point of the keys was to allow residents with boats to have waterfront property with a dock on a sheltered anchorage and direct access to the lake. The berm won't restore that, just create a big stagnant pool outside their back doors. One more reason why the Sea needs to be refilled rather than allowed to evaporate.

[@rulistening7777]

I don't understand why they dont just create a floating community. Like in Seattle. Or homes on stilts/ pillars, like in asian countries. And / Or house boat community . All of these options would need to be closely monitored. But it is totally do-able.

[@jijzer3284]

after that many disasters stil try to save it please leave it alone and move on

[@hubertdenise3100]

I feel so sad for the fish in the sea.They didn’t ask to be put in there, they never belonged in there and they were just thrown in without any knowledge if they could survive or not.Those that didn’t must have died in slow agonising death, like the sharks, and other saltwater fish.Then the salton sea starts drying up and getting worse, less oxygen, more pollution, and those fish would have just kept dying off, unable to leave.The deepest part of the sea must have been awful, the fish stuck crowding that spot.And now if there are any fish left, they are stuck to die with no chance of escape.People are cruel.

[@bobtowncarguy82]

Look who runs the state of California. That's all you need to say.

[@JoeBlow-nu8yo]

I wish God never created money

[@johnchedsey1306]

This is one of the better documentaries I've seen on the Salton Sea, particularly in its accidental creation in the early 1900s. The lake is one of many symptoms of the megadrought of the region and the overtaxed Colorado River system. Given the lake was engineered into existence (albeit accidentally), I do wonder if more engineering of a solution will have further unintended consequences. The sea to sea canal system does seem to have the most merit. I've visited the area and it is indeed fascinating and weird. And I do hope they can find a solution for the people in the region.

[@crankychris2]

Agreed. The lithium bust of 2023 [the price dropped 93%] ended the big plans to mine and restore Salton Sea, just another disappointment for the area. It's no longer profitable to mine lithium as the EV market has collapsed worldwide.

[@bigbizz3503]

What a gigantic clusterfuck. 1 right after the other. I've heard so many different stories about the Salton Sea from many different documentaries and not one of them explained it quite like this one.

[@rdallas81]

You Said cluster

[@ducksauce505]

Amazing video. Sad that only 10k people have seen this.

[@DjMeow]

People will always take something nice and ruin it

[@kathylarson8876]

People didn't ruin it nature did

[@rdallas81]

There was a lake in the Former USSR that met a similar fate

[@mackpines]

The Aral Sea.

[@DanielFCutter]

It was a manmade mistake. It’s great that people enjoyed it but any body of water with no outlet or inlet is doomed. What should they do-divert the Colorado again? Of course not.

[@fastheartmartvideos]

No, did you watch until the end? AT 1:10:53 the proposed solution is called "Sea to Sea"... to dig a canal from the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) to the Salton Sea. It's down hill the entire way and there's an endless supply of water. It's not that far of a canal that would need to be built.

[@lawrencesmith6536]

Could it be possible that government/corporate entities WANT it to dry up? Lithium deposits are so valuable that i think they will sacrifice the Salton Sea for rechargable batteries

[@rich_edwards79]

Sadly I think you are right. Lithium mining will turn what is already a social, environmental and economic catastrophe into an absolute hellscape.

[@colorsrrealduh]

As I read comments about the Salton Sea, I notice a lot of people saying “let mother nature reclaim it, it was man made and a mistake, let it become a desert again.” I don’t think that is any reason to sit back and let this happen. It doesn’t matter at this point how the lake was made, natural, on accident, man-made, it’s there now. And it’s now our problem. We can’t just let Mother Nature “fix” it. The creation of the sea 100 years ago was a disaster, but letting it dry up will only be another disaster. There’s no way to just “go back.” We need to be realistic and think about here, and now, and the problems now and the problems that will occur in the future should we let the sea continue to dry up

[@MikeDunn1966]

An amazing documentary about a southern california tragedy. It is unbelievable that a state monument as large as the Salton Sea has gotten so little assistance and attention.

[@johng5710]

It's not surprising at all...Newsom only cares about the liberal large cities in California...that's where all the votes are

[@Jimmyxsx]

Its now getting a lot of attention because they have discovered large deposits of lithium in that area.

[@colemcclain7319]

The USA previously used it as a atomic bomb site ,

[@danksidoodles]

Ameeeeeericaaaaaaaa

[@dgtwo3724]

​@@colemcclain7319no atomic bombs wwre ever tested there. However, it was used for training for bombing runs.

[@pitsmcgoo]

Under the Salton Sea is one of the largest lithium deposits in the world. So little chance that it will ever be re-filled.

[@EVtripper]

Best history lesson ever?

[@mekanism1200]

The Salton Sea is sitting on top of the most abundant Lithium resources in the U.S. Not a surprise that reclamation efforts are stalled.

[@MikeBodo]

Whatever private entity receives the mining rights should also be responsible for dredging and disposing the toxic sediment layer that built-up from the decades of run-off having flowed into the lake. That will help save a lot of lives in exchange for the billions and even trillions to be made in revenue from Lithium mining. The Salton Sea will go from a massive body of water to a massive quarry and hole in the ground in the blink of an eye.

[@hoss6048]

The Salton Sea is not supposed to be. It was an accident.

[@desertspectre2881]

Then why do they keep adding the water from irrigating crops that’s filled with pesticides? Accident or a place to dump all their waste and turn a blind eye 👁️!

[@karenbochinski]

truth and what a disaster

[@mackpines]

What a fantastic documentary! Never get tired of learning history. I do hope the sea will be saved. Would love to go back in time to the 60s when the sea was a fun and happening place. Thank you so much for posting this!

[@kathylarson8876]

I would like to go back to the 60s when Venice Beach was fun

[@KeithPickeringGuy]

It's mystifying to me that with no properties in San Diego County available for under $1 million, there's still no incentive to revitalize this area. We have too many people competing for too few houses. It sounds like what they tried to make this place into 60 years ago is much more needed today.

[@pcat1000]

Dude, it's a lost cause . It was formed as a result of a mans' mistake, let's not throw good money after bad. It will only require more and more bailouts. If our negligent Democrats would stop the MASSIVE INVASION of our border & stop giving a monthly Social Security check to all the lawbreakers, we might have extra cash.

[@bradleymosman8325]

I first became interested in the Salton Sea as an engineer. About twenty years ago I designed some steam valves for a California Energy geothermal plant there. The canal to the Sea of Cortez seems like such a straightforward solution. Does anyone here know why this hasn't been acted upon?

[@QuangPham-hm7fm]

Mexico won't allow it

[@Rocketman0407]

​@@QuangPham-hm7fmsources?

[@splitman1129]

No one will fix it because it makes sense.

[@star16me]

This is heartbreaking.

[@briananthony2611]

Just flew over the Salton Sea today on my way to SD from Boston. An amazing sight from the sky.

[@mandyc3658]

This was never meant to be per the video. I was created by accident. The fish was transplanted and not native. Now that they have corrected the accidental water inflow, the lake is disappearing. This is an artificial environment that is self correcting, I suggest you get some plows our there to plow the new shore lines and plant native grasses and native rocks/gravel to return the area to the desert.

[@janejones5362]

Think what happened at Lahaina. You believe theyre gonna care what happens at Salton?? Find a separate support system. Get politically active. Or move.

[@curtwalters8328]

Very interesting documentory!😮 We used to camp there in the 60's, I was about 7 yrs old. They had GIANT red ants. I did'nt like them crawling on my feet. My Uncle told me calm down, they are harmless. So i let them crawl. Then all of a sudden they clasped their large mandibles into my flesh. I have been facinated by ants ever since. Ant Farms as a kid. 😊 I thought it was too hot and windy for camping. Saw an RV get tossed around, upside down. Did you know it a geothermic active area? As a child i rembember hot springs in the area. So hot it was baricaded from a spa. Im a SoCal native, and they have constant earthquakes. The dreaded San Andres fault goes right through it up to LA. Just today they had a small 2.9

[@kf8552]

Trevor? You there?

[@RT-if1qu]

Tell me you're trying to pull off an imminent domain without telling me you're trying to pull off imminent domain for lithium deposits!

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

There was NEVER supposed to be a lake there. Taxpayers are supposed to pay for a lake that didn’t exist before some developers bungled in to an inland sea. No thanks.

[@RecKOner21]

Yes thanks I'm camping here for the first time and this place needs to exist and I hope they turn it around and save it I love this place and you will too if you ever decide to go.

[@spacetravler8461]

Sad. Hopefully lithium mining witch wasn't an issue when this was recorded doesn't seal the fats of the sea.

[@lethalethixstudios2592]

This was a very well produced documentary. No hidden agendas, just facts.

[@auroraabril9844]

Bringing water from the Laguna Salada? Did you ask Mexico permission to do that? Isn’t that going to dry the Laguna Salada and create the same problem we have in Salton Sea.

[@rich_edwards79]

That's why the water needs to come from the ocean.

[@jdcaldwell5088]

Sea water from the sea of Cortez would fill up laguna salada and the Saltonsea with sea water a WIN for both sides of the boarder??????

[@mimi1girl2dempsey3]

Everybody is waiting for someone else to do something why don' they plant shrubs? one person then another and then another?

[@cyrusasiimwe1992]

Salton Sea vs. Lake Victoria: A Size Comparison Lake Victoria is significantly larger than the Salton Sea in both surface area and depth. Surface Area: Lake Victoria: 59,947 square kilometers (23,146 square miles) Salton Sea: 924 square kilometers (357 square miles) Lake Victoria is approximately 65 times larger than the Salton Sea in terms of surface area. Depth: Lake Victoria: Maximum depth of 80-81 meters (262-266 feet) Salton Sea: Maximum depth of 13 meters (43 feet) Lake Victoria is significantly deeper than the Salton Sea, with a maximum depth approximately six times greater. In summary, Lake Victoria is a much larger and deeper body of water compared to the Salton Sea. While the Salton Sea is the largest lake in California, it pales in comparison to the vastness of Lake Victoria, one of the Great Lakes of Africa.

[@ohnonotthatguy1465]

This area was never part of Mother Nature’s plan. Now because of greed to grow crops in the desert it is one of the largest man made environmental disaster of all time. Mother Nature plays chess and man plays checkers.

[@danman4300]

Great doc

[@rachelturner9162]

Such a fascinating history here. It is deeply disturbing and yet also understandable given the dwindling supply of the Colorado River, that California legislators seem to be prioritizing the water usage needs of LA and San Diego over the people living on the Salton Sea. I gather there is a prevailing opinion that the Salton Sea is viewed as an ecological disaster that should never have happened, and therefore, isn't worthy of the time, attention, and the money that is needed to make it habitable again. However, real people live there and call it home, and so for them reviving the lake is imperative. Its presence as significant marshlands for migrating birds is also a strong argument for rehabilitation. I wonder if it is time to stop relying on the government to solve the problem and start carefully vetting some innovative investors who might be willing to take on the challenge. Linking (or relinking) the Salton Sea to the Sea of Cortez sounds like a potential solution that would not be a far cry from its historical natural state.

[@sharondyott6510]

The salton sea is beautiful. I have never personally been there but the pictures are magnificent. Californian's need to wake up and see the beauty that is the salton sea. The largest lake in all of California is dying all of its beauty is being distorted due to water and money mismanagement. Californian's this will effect all of you. Listen to those who live along the salton sea. They are suffering and dying because of your disrespectful inactivity to help this area thrive and because no one famous, rich, or powerful in the political world lives there. How could you all ignore the hazardous problems that all of you have created by diverting to much water away from the salton sea. The ecosystem that is the salton sea exists no where else in the world. Don't turn your back on the people who have called this place home .what if it was your child suffering an illness that is as deadly what is going on here. All of California is responsible for what goes on in every inch of the state. Water has to come from some where. Can't the coastal cities create desalination plants to provide there citizens with the water they need from the ocean? Where are all the conservationists gone? I hope they listen to all of you that love along the beautiful salton sea. Keep up the hard fight. Greetings from Pennsylvania.

[@janettetorrez9218]

Why aren’t you helping?

[@55tranquility]

A lake accidentally created by manmade interventions which caused a flood and only subsequently fed by agricultural run off was never really going to end well.

[@ColonizersBlow]

Just came back from Bombay Beach. Such a fascinating place.

[@jamesdec1774]

All the money that was basically thrown away trying to get water to LA. They should have just put a desalination plant in from the beginning

[@GaryEllington-dy8li]

Sadly, I would say the Salton Sea 🌊 is a lost cause!

[@nealm6764]

Correct. Pave it over and keep paving as the water recedes seal those toxins off from reaching air and blowing all over the Southwest.

[@mattkaustickomments]

That place just wants to be a desert. Maybe that’s what it should be. Perhaps the seabed is leveled and becomes a shallower sea - just enough to keep down the dust.

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

Fixing ONE spot does nothing. It fixes nothing.

[@roscoehilton7727]

It was once Lake Cahuilla, last full of water in c. 1470 (estimated date)?

[@davkaul7734]

This is just another issue that the ineffective supermajority in Sacramento is doing to destroy California. I was born and raised in Orange County but fled to Texas due to the idiotic government decisions that Sacramento has been making.

[@curtwalters8328]

We have a similar situation in Orange County. We divert the Santa Ana river into catch basins in the north. It is for flood control and refreshing our aquifer. Migrating birds now rely on them, yet they are artificial. The only time the river runs to the sea is under very heavy rain. I used to surf at Newport (too many years ago), but the water always flowed. It is a good thing, man helping nature and nature helping man.