The Salton Sea

In this essay, the author

• Describes the salton basin, a below-sea-level depression that extends from palm springs to the gulf of california.
• Describes the salton sea state recreation area as a popular sport fishing site, populated by birds, and migratory birds along the pacific flyway.
• Explains that the salton sea contains 7.3 million acre-feet of water and has a water surface level of 227 feet below sea level. by the 1980s the water level rose greatly and gave way to abandoned businesses, deteriorating structures and empty beaches.

• Describes the salton basin, a below-sea-level depression that extends from palm springs to the gulf of california.
• Describes the salton sea state recreation area as a popular sport fishing site, populated by birds, and migratory birds along the pacific flyway.
• Explains that the salton sea contains 7.3 million acre-feet of water and has a water surface level of 227 feet below sea level. by the 1980s the water level rose greatly and gave way to abandoned businesses, deteriorating structures and empty beaches.
• Explains that the new river is the "most polluted waterway in the nation" due to its raw sewage, agricultural drainage water, and powerplant effluent.
• Opines that the salton sea is an important place because of its intrinsic value. it is a natural library of knowledge.
• Explains that the saltine sea is home to 450,000 ducks, 30,000 snow and rose s geese, and numerous species of waterfowl.
• Explains that the salton sea is the fastest boat racing lake in the nation because its salt content causes vessels to be much more buoyant and its high atmospheric density causes engines to perform more powerful than on other lakes.
• Explains that the salton sea is a sacred site for the cahuilla indian tribe. art lopes, the chairman of the torres-martinez band, expressed his concern and the concern of others regarding the salton sea and its desperately needed restoration.
• Explains that the salton sea's inflow comes from four sources: the new river, the alamo river and the whitewater river.
• Explains that ecosystems provide a service or benefit to human societies as well. nature has been stomped over in the march toward human advancement, and its wonderful possibilities and importance have been ignored.
• Explains that the ecosystem in the salton sea is greatly deteriorating at a substantial rate due to deadly parasites, selenium, botulism, new castle disease, and eutrophication at an unprecedented rate.
• Explains that the salton sea has been the site of several major die offs over the past five years.
• Explains that in the summer and fall of 1996, more than 14,000 fish-eating birds including 1,4000 endangered california brown pelicans died due to avian botulism.
• Explains that cultural eutrophication occurs when large amounts of plant nutrients are fed into the water from agriculture drainage and run off.
• Explains that agricultural drainage from the imperial valley brings high levels of selenium and salts. birds feeding in the salton sea area are at risk.
• Explains that the ecosystem in the salton sea area is greatly deteriorating at a substantial rate.
• Explains that the salton sea is an environmentalist's nightmare due to a myriad of deadly chemicals from surrounding agriculture, mexicali s sewage and agriculture waste, technological inadequacy, and government lack of regulations regarding the agricultural industry.
• Explains that the salton sea area is embraced with native american spirituality and it's a sacred site to themselves as was to their ancestors.
• Explains that the salton sea has been ignored and left for dead for a substantial period of time. it is out of sight from heavily populated roadways and cities.
• Opines that it is surprising that so little research has been done on the sea. at the salton sea symposium ii last month, many spoke of the very minute amount of biological and especially ecological research done in this area.
• Opines that now that we have identified the problems of the salton sea, we must find a solution. but who is responsible for the clean-up?
• Explains that five groups hold the prominent and most influential role and responsibility for the restoration of the salton sea.
• Explains that the army corps of engineers for civil works is the oldest agency for environmental protection in the us.
• Explains the torres-martinez band of cahuilla indians, whose role will be to ensure that all actions for improving the salton sea are acceptable.
• Describes the interests of the state water resources control board in the areas of water, fish and game, boating, and state water ways to and from the salton sea.
• Explains the u.s. fish & wildlife service's management of the salton sea refuge, making sure actions do not jeopardize endangered species as well as the national environmental policy act regulations and compliance.
• States that the national environmental policy act (nepa) established in 1969 requires all federal agencies to consider the values of environmental preservation and prescribes procedural measures to ensure that those values are in fact fully respected.
• Explains that ecotourism is a new craze shaping what people do in natural settings.
• Explains that ecotourism is becoming a new way for people to enjoy time with others while being surrounded by peace and tranquillity.
• Opines that the salton sea's technical problems are the most prodigious. the saltinity levels are too high, raw swage from the new river, ddt, selenium, various forms of bacteria, and eutrophication.
• Explains that many organizations and individuals are responding at an alarming rate to the sea's terrible problems.
• Explains that the value of the 240,000 acre sea has increased, as 95 percent of california s wetlands have been destroyed.
• Explains that the salton sea is 25 percent saltier than ocean water and serves as a sump for agricultural drainage from the coachella, imperial and mexicali valleys.
• Explains that there are five predominant diseases found in the sea which increase its lethality ever more.
• Explains that eutrophication is changing the ecosystem because plants and fish need light and nutrients to maintain a healthy existence. botchulism is affecting ducks and birds.
• Opines that the current interest in cleaning up the salton sea and lowering the salinity levels is the first to be addressed due to the most deadly parasite, amyloodinium ocellatum.
• Opines that there is an abundance of people that are eager about seeing that the salton sea is restored. everyone must work together for an exemplary and sustainable solution that incorporates ideas from biologist and ecologist, engineers, local indigenous knowledge systems and the community.
• Describes the three major problems, namely high salinity, unstable surface elevation, and mass contamination of the water.
• Explains that there have been numerous proposals in the past twenty-five years to clean and manage the salton sea.
• Proposes that sea water be pumped to a receiving body of water like the gulf of california, laguna salada in mexico, the pacific ocean, or some other water sink.
• Explains the concept of a dike impoundment, wherein water flows into the sea through gated inlets, concentrates it through evaporation, and stores the removed solids for an indefinite period.
• Argues that the combination of the diked impoundment and the pump out method would enhance both the management and address elevation and salinity.
• Opines that removal of salt inflows before entering the sea would reduce these concerns and costs, but moving millions of tons over mountain ranger would be expensive and disposal would have environmental and political consequences.
• Explains that water import option reduces salinity by dilution with fresh imported water from other sources like the colorado river.
• Explains that the salton sea authority, bureau of reclamation, the state of california and other interested parties evaluated the proposals.
• Opines that more biological research needs to be done on the salton sea, and that it will take an enormous public commitment to protect and restore the sea.
• Explains the introduction of the "sonny bono memorial salton sea reclamation act", a landmark environmental legislation to restore this fragile ecosystem in southern california.
• Concludes that without addressing the above mentioned issues, any proposal or option will fail disasterably and waste time, money, and the lives of all gods creatures that call the salton sea their home.
• Cites gretchen c. daily, susan alexander, paul r. ehrlich, larry goulder, jane lubchenco, pamela a. matson, harold mooney, sandra postel, stephen h. schneider, david tilman, george m. woodwell.
• Explains that gingrich, mary bono joins the salton sea task force in unveiling the "sonny bon
• Explains kellert, s.r., and e.o. wilson, 1993, the biophilia hypothesis.
• Describes the salton sea authority and bureau of reclamation's 1997 brochure, "attractions and challenges".
• Explains taylor, dan. audubon society inspired to action by bird die-offs.
• Describes the salton sea authority and the california state water commission's presentation of a salton sea symposium ii.