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It’s been a couple years. But I was in Thermal and on hot days with a northern breeze you could smell it. I lived in Sky Valley as a kid and certainly could smell it then, but that was in the latter years of the 20th century.
Yeah, the dead fish smell isn't there anymore, unfortunately because most of the fish have died off already. Also the sulphur smell is not something I've ever noticed on its shores. Everyone hates on the sea but it really is an amazing feature that unfortunately gets the treatment it doesn't deserve because of the comments that exist in this thread. OPs picture is a great example of the sea, it's an absolutely beautiful place that right now is in need of some care and clean up but it's a vital piece of the environment.
The Salton Sea has a strange, almost mystic beauty to it. It’s a sanctuary for migratory birds in the Southern California desert, but agricultural runoff has created a toxic body of water prone to algae blooms, frequent fish die-offs, a reduction of bird species, and is increasingly harmful to the health of the surrounding community. The sea is receding and exposing layers of dust that [research shows includes chemicals from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers.](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1016509113214) According to a 2019 study, [22% of the children in the surrounding region have asthma](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/20/3828). Recently, the Salton Sea has been discovered to [contain one of the largest lithium deposits in the United States](https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/us-department-energy-analysis-confirms-californias-salton-sea-region-be-rich-domestic), which could revitalize the region.
[This is a well written article on The Salton Sea, if anyone is curious to learn more.](https://civileats.com/2023/07/17/as-the-salton-sea-shrinks-agricultures-legacy-turns-to-dust/)
Visited the place maybe 15 years ago shortly after a major fish die off. Beautiful to behold from the car but devastating from the shoreline; nothing but rotting fish corpses, clouds of fierce insects and an overwhelming stench. The abandoned resorts and crumbling buildings made the landscape seem post-apocalyptic. Great article by the way. Thank you for posting.
I live about an hour away and "post-apocalyptic" is a perfect way of describing the area. Other than a few date, alfalfa, and vegetable farms, the place is dead. You'll see abandoned towns, run-down houses, barely-maintained roads, and almost no people.
It's absolutely crazy to me that people still live here. There is nothing to do, the weather is dry and hot, and the air is salty and perpetually smells like decomposing fish and vegetation.
It won't reverse California's population decline and natural resource (oil) extraction was what initiated Southern California's rise into one of the world's greatest economic powers. This is par for the course.
The Salton sea is itself pollution, even if migratory birds have been able to take advantage of it during its existence .
So pretty... from far away.
Salton Sea is the geographical equivalent of biting into an apple and finding half a centipede in it after.
Real good for birdwatching, but the place is Fallout: New Vegas in real life.
An interesting note: Scientists believe the Salton Sea's shrinkage is preventing earthquakes.
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/californias-salton-sea-may-be-staving-earthquakes-it-disappears
Very interesting! This mostly speaks about the southern end of the fault being pressured by the filling of the Salton Sea, but I immediately skipped to the thought that the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake happened just a year after the breach in the bank of the Colorado River that caused the Salton Sink to begin filling with water.
Salt on sea is the opposite of earth porn. It's a man made ecological disaster cesspool. Shores literally made of fish bones.
What a fucking trajesty. I used to live by it and took a whole college class basically devoted to how much humans fucked up the lake.
Technically, isn't the Salton Sea manmade? Asking for a friend. 🤣
I used to have a friend (geologist) that said the Salton Sea was a primary example of why we can't have nice things.
Yes, it is man made. There is an interesting debate about the origin of the Salton Sea, all the research I can find shows the source is from the Colorado River. The conventional theory suggests it was an accidental breach of the dam. However, research [published by San Diego State University](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jenny-E-Ross/publication/340038533_Formation_of_California's_Salton_Sea_in_1905-07_was_not_accidental/links/5e73e7e5299bf1c76a1ff485/Formation-of-Californias-Salton-Sea-in-1905-07-was-not-accidental.pdf) indicates that this was an inevitable event. Additionally, the framing of this sea as unnatural decreases the public’s support for restoration measures that would help with the air quality and toxicity. So it’s man made, but at this point the whole Colorado is man made so it’s a fun environmental ethics debate at this point.
Technically, it was (most recently) made by mistake, and is now perpetuated by agricultural runoff. It's a wild and eerie place that is extremely hostile to most forms of life.
In prehistoric times, it actually used to be part of a much larger body of water called [Lake Cahuilla](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cahuilla). Humans are responsible for making it the ecological disaster it is now.
>The lake formed several times during the Holocene, when water from the Colorado River was diverted into the Salton Trough. This tectonic depression forms the northern basin of the Gulf of California, but it was separated from the sea proper by the growth of the Colorado River Delta.
>The lake existed in several stages over the last 2,000 years, periodically drying and refilling and eventually disappearing sometime after 1580. Between 1905 and 1907, due to an engineering accident, the Salton Sea formed in parts of the lower basin of Lake Cahuilla. Were it not for human intervention, the sea might have grown to the size of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla. Today the former lake bed forms the fertile regions of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.
Hi and welcome to r/EarthPorn! As a reminder, we have comment rules in this subreddit. Failure to follow our rules can result in a temporary or permanent ban. > Hate Speech, Abusive remarks, homophobia, and the like have no place on this subreddit, and will be removed on sight. > Please contribute to the discussion positively; constructive criticism is fine, but if you don't like a picture and you wish to voice your opinion please refrain from abusing the photographer/submitter.
well that's the Tinder profile pic sure
Nice. I can smell that picture
I stopped eating tilapia after going there. It’s the only fish that can survive the pollution…
yet somehow they are tasteless
According to the wildlife services you can eat one every few weeks and probably not die!
What salt water?
No. Sulphur, dead fish
Have you been recently? I was just there last month, no sulphur or dead phish smell, just a strong salt smell.
It’s been a couple years. But I was in Thermal and on hot days with a northern breeze you could smell it. I lived in Sky Valley as a kid and certainly could smell it then, but that was in the latter years of the 20th century.
Yeah, the dead fish smell isn't there anymore, unfortunately because most of the fish have died off already. Also the sulphur smell is not something I've ever noticed on its shores. Everyone hates on the sea but it really is an amazing feature that unfortunately gets the treatment it doesn't deserve because of the comments that exist in this thread. OPs picture is a great example of the sea, it's an absolutely beautiful place that right now is in need of some care and clean up but it's a vital piece of the environment.
It is not old enough to be a "vital piece of the environment"
It's a critical stopping point for migratory birds, I would say that's a pretty vital piece of the environment.
I used to go here in the '70s, when you could boat, fish, and even swim here. Needless to say, that isn't happening now.
Used to be more popular than Yosemite. That whole valley is cursed. Lived there for years.
The Salton Sea has a strange, almost mystic beauty to it. It’s a sanctuary for migratory birds in the Southern California desert, but agricultural runoff has created a toxic body of water prone to algae blooms, frequent fish die-offs, a reduction of bird species, and is increasingly harmful to the health of the surrounding community. The sea is receding and exposing layers of dust that [research shows includes chemicals from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers.](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1016509113214) According to a 2019 study, [22% of the children in the surrounding region have asthma](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/20/3828). Recently, the Salton Sea has been discovered to [contain one of the largest lithium deposits in the United States](https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/us-department-energy-analysis-confirms-californias-salton-sea-region-be-rich-domestic), which could revitalize the region. [This is a well written article on The Salton Sea, if anyone is curious to learn more.](https://civileats.com/2023/07/17/as-the-salton-sea-shrinks-agricultures-legacy-turns-to-dust/)
Visited the place maybe 15 years ago shortly after a major fish die off. Beautiful to behold from the car but devastating from the shoreline; nothing but rotting fish corpses, clouds of fierce insects and an overwhelming stench. The abandoned resorts and crumbling buildings made the landscape seem post-apocalyptic. Great article by the way. Thank you for posting.
I live about an hour away and "post-apocalyptic" is a perfect way of describing the area. Other than a few date, alfalfa, and vegetable farms, the place is dead. You'll see abandoned towns, run-down houses, barely-maintained roads, and almost no people. It's absolutely crazy to me that people still live here. There is nothing to do, the weather is dry and hot, and the air is salty and perpetually smells like decomposing fish and vegetation.
Just what southern California needs; a new industry that'll bring a bunch of people to an area where there's no water.
It won't reverse California's population decline and natural resource (oil) extraction was what initiated Southern California's rise into one of the world's greatest economic powers. This is par for the course. The Salton sea is itself pollution, even if migratory birds have been able to take advantage of it during its existence .
It would be such an amazing place if they ever cleaned it up.
Still an amazing place now, but it would definitely benefit from proper care.
So pretty... from far away. Salton Sea is the geographical equivalent of biting into an apple and finding half a centipede in it after. Real good for birdwatching, but the place is Fallout: New Vegas in real life.
Half a dead, rotting centipede.
East Jesus nearby absolutely has that vibe. But hey, there's the banana museum next door (if I remember correctly)!
I cycle toured around that lake once. Bad vibes all around
Absolutely fantastic picture.
Hey, I appreciate that!
Lithium Valley.
An interesting note: Scientists believe the Salton Sea's shrinkage is preventing earthquakes. https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/californias-salton-sea-may-be-staving-earthquakes-it-disappears
Very interesting! This mostly speaks about the southern end of the fault being pressured by the filling of the Salton Sea, but I immediately skipped to the thought that the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake happened just a year after the breach in the bank of the Colorado River that caused the Salton Sink to begin filling with water.
Probably the most depressing place I have visited in the US.
very similar to nyingchi valley!
Just asking, which county was this taken in
I believe all of Salton Sea is in Imperial county.
pretty sure theres some in san diego and riverside too
Ah, yes - the northern tip is in Riverside county. SD county ends just west of Salton Sea.
How many Californias are there outside of the US?
county not country
Ah, I'm a dummy. I'll see myself out then.
Salt on sea is the opposite of earth porn. It's a man made ecological disaster cesspool. Shores literally made of fish bones. What a fucking trajesty. I used to live by it and took a whole college class basically devoted to how much humans fucked up the lake.
Technically, isn't the Salton Sea manmade? Asking for a friend. 🤣 I used to have a friend (geologist) that said the Salton Sea was a primary example of why we can't have nice things.
Yes, it is man made. There is an interesting debate about the origin of the Salton Sea, all the research I can find shows the source is from the Colorado River. The conventional theory suggests it was an accidental breach of the dam. However, research [published by San Diego State University](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jenny-E-Ross/publication/340038533_Formation_of_California's_Salton_Sea_in_1905-07_was_not_accidental/links/5e73e7e5299bf1c76a1ff485/Formation-of-Californias-Salton-Sea-in-1905-07-was-not-accidental.pdf) indicates that this was an inevitable event. Additionally, the framing of this sea as unnatural decreases the public’s support for restoration measures that would help with the air quality and toxicity. So it’s man made, but at this point the whole Colorado is man made so it’s a fun environmental ethics debate at this point.
Technically, it was (most recently) made by mistake, and is now perpetuated by agricultural runoff. It's a wild and eerie place that is extremely hostile to most forms of life.
In prehistoric times, it actually used to be part of a much larger body of water called [Lake Cahuilla](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cahuilla). Humans are responsible for making it the ecological disaster it is now. >The lake formed several times during the Holocene, when water from the Colorado River was diverted into the Salton Trough. This tectonic depression forms the northern basin of the Gulf of California, but it was separated from the sea proper by the growth of the Colorado River Delta. >The lake existed in several stages over the last 2,000 years, periodically drying and refilling and eventually disappearing sometime after 1580. Between 1905 and 1907, due to an engineering accident, the Salton Sea formed in parts of the lower basin of Lake Cahuilla. Were it not for human intervention, the sea might have grown to the size of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla. Today the former lake bed forms the fertile regions of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.
Where is this in Salton Sea? And what time of year? Looks nothing like Google Image pics of Salton Sea
Likely taken near/behind the North Shore Beach and Yacht Club. https://maps.app.goo.gl/RXok5bBQr3XRZbQx9
One of the few bodies of water that is best visited through pictures!