BETA
Chapter 1
An accidental birth in the desert
Chapter 2
The glamorous desert playground
Chapter 3
The unfolding ecological crisis
Chapter 4
The toxic dust and public health
Chapter 5
The rise of Lithium Valley and clean energy
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Salton Sea
Ch 1 · An accidental birth in the desert
marcus Salton Sea: California's Accidental Lake
Born by chance from Colorado's flow, This desert sea is now starting to go.
marcus It took nearly two years of monumental effort and heavy machinery to close the breach and stop the flood.
marcus A massive irrigation project on the Colorado River went wrong, accidentally diverting the entire river into the dry basin.
Fun Fact
Desert fish survival: The desert pupfish is the only native fish species that survived the Salton Sea's transition from fresh to highly salty water.
Glossary
canal (noun)
An artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or to redirect water for irrigation. In 1905, a breached diversion canal on the Colorado River flooded the basin, creating California's largest lake.
An artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or to redirect water for irrigation. In 1905, a breached diversion canal on the Colorado River flooded the basin, creating California's largest lake.
Quiz
How long did the Colorado River flow uncontrolled into the Salton Sink before the breach was closed?
Quiz
What was the name of the ancient prehistoric lake that occupied the Salton Sink before the modern sea?
Quiz
What is the scientific term for a lake like the Salton Sea that has no natural outlets to the ocean?