In the 1950s and 1960s the area became a resort destination, and vacation communities sprung up around it such as Bombay Beach. People were able to boat and fish on the lake. It was also a major stop for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway.
By the 1980s, it became clear that farm runoff of chemicals and nitrates into the sea was creating issues. Both the farm chemicals and salt leaching out of the soil raised the salinity of the lake and led to algae blooms. There were massive die-offs of birds and several species of fish in the sea. The lake also began to recede as less agricultural water was channeled into it.
As the lake shrank, the salinity increased, making it saltier than the ocean. Many of the resorts and tourism infrastructure around the lake was abandoned. It is considered to be one of the largest environmental disasters in California’s history.
The Salton Sea is home to several small communities. These include Salton City, a census-designated place with a population of about 5,600, and Bombay Beach which is home to about 415 people. These communities have a significant number of trailers, vacant lots, and abandoned residences, leading to them to be referred to as “modern ruins.”
However, while many buildings are in disrepair, the small Salton Sea communities are also home to a vibrant art community that includes Salvation Mountain, East Jesus, and Bombay Beach Literary Week.
The air quality in Salton City is often dangerous. Dust blown up from the dry parts of the lakebed contains “a century’s worth of agricultural runoff, including DDT, ammonia, possibly carcinogenic herbicides like trifluralin and other chemicals.” Many nearby communities where Latinx residents live receive the largest impact.
California signed an agreement in 2003 committing to mitigating the health and environmental impacts of the receding lake. The high water mark has fallen and the salinity continues to rise, but little mitigation has been done. Necessary projects include tamping down the dust and rebuilding wetland habitats. According to High Country News, “By late 2020, the California Natural Resources Agency had completed one dust-suppression project covering a mere 112 acres; the goal for the end of that year was 3,800 acres.”
As a result of the dust and chemicals, there are high rates of respiratory illness in the area, making it an urgent public health crisis as well as an environmental one.
Much of the previous research into poor air quality and its impacts has been done in cities. Many people may assume poor air quality is primarily a metro issue, coming from smog formed by industrial and vehicle pollution. However, the air quality issues faced by the residents around the Salton Sea make clear that it is a rural and racial justice issue as well.
A team at USC wants to understand what is contributing to poor air quality in rural areas like the Imperial Valley, where the Salton Sea is located. They hope to collaborate with the community to understand the health impacts and identify approaches to raise awareness and provide tools that help the community protect itself.
The Salton Sea has been neglected, perhaps because it is mostly poor, rural residents who suffer the impact. Lawmakers like Rep. Raul Ruiz are calling on California and the federal government to recommit to efforts to resolve the twin environmental and public health crises caused by this ongoing neglect.
4 comments:
This was such an eye-opening post on a part of California I had never heard of. The lack of action to address the serious environmental concerns of the Salton Sea really highlights the low political power most rural communities have, and the life threatening consequences of this deficit. Considering this, it is not entirely unsurprising that rural communities feel unheard on the national or state level. The Salton Sea context in particular makes me think the support of a non-profit organization focused on environmental rights and racial justice could be of benefit in bringing the current situation to a larger audience so that perhaps, hopefully, some action will be taken.
Thank you for writing this comprehensive piece on the history of the Salton Sea. I never knew its origin, and I think its story speaks to our treatment of taking care of the environment we create on a larger scale. We essentially created the problem one hundred years ago, benefited from it for the next century, and have failed on the promise to mitigate its inevitable decline. I believe the slow response does not bode well for further climate change crises, such as mass migration, drought, etc.
Amelia, this was such an interesting post, I had never heard of the Salton Sea! Like your last post, I am struck by the impacts air quality has on nearby Latinx residents and by the lack of mitigation or projects that have taken place to reduce the impacts. For such a serious problem, and the urgent public health crisis, you would hope that local and state officials would make mitigating the impacts of the lake a higher priority. I hope that Rep. Raul Ruiz’s spotlight on the issue can push the state and federal governments to meet the area's dust-suppression project goals, or maybe attract private or non-profit entities to get involved.
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