In 1905, a backed-up canal on the Colorado River caused a years-long flood into Imperial Valley, California. The resulting deluge of freshwater, along with new advances in canal engineering and agricultural practices, became an important part of southern California's economy, allowing the land to provide fresh produce and meat to much of the Southwestern United States. The flood also created an enormous lake at the lowest point of the valley. For a long time, all was well - the valley produced huge yields of fresh food, and the "Salton Riveria" became a popular vacation spot for families from Los Angeles and San Diego.
In the 1970s, however, scientists began warning that all was not well with the Salton Sea's ecology, and by the 2010s, their worst predictions were coming true. Runoff from the farms and feedlots, plus a hotter, drier climate, caused fish to die off, birds to stop visiting, and vacationers to go elsewhere. Even worse, the exposed lakebed was filling the air with toxic dust, creating an array of public health issues in Imperial Valley's residents. On this episode, we're getting into environmental disaster, pollution, freshwater fish die-offs, outsider art, cleaning costs, and how electric cars might just save the day.
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Sources for this episode include:
"Toxic Dust From a Dying California Lake", C. Iovenko for the Atlantic, 2015
"Salt Dreams, Land and Water in Southern California", by W. deBuys, 1999
Bombay Bech Biennale (ongoing)
"The Salton Sea", Pacific Institute / UC Riverside (ongoing)
"Mining At The Salton Sea: Area Set To Become A Massive Lithium Source In The US", by Staff Writer for Planet Voice, 2021
"Miracle in the Desert - Salton City" video, 1968
