The Salton Sea in southern California is getting stinkier, saltier, and potentially more dangerous than previously realized. Once a popular tourist spot, the largest lake in California (by surface area) is drying up at an alarming rate, causing its exposed bed to crumble and kick up toxic dust into the surrounding air.
Two new studies have recently looked at the plight of the troubled region and highlighted how the lake’s polluted legacy has started to take its toll on the local community. If the problem isn’t tackled swiftly, the situation could deteriorate further.
The Salton Sea, which is actually a very salty landlocked lake, was created by accident in the early 20th century when irrigation canals from the Colorado River spilled over, causing the valley to flood with water. The body of water remained, fuelled by continued agriculture run-off from the Imperial and Coachella valleys.
The fertilizer-laden water brings heaps of pollutants to the lake, including hydrogen sulfide, which becomes embedded in the dried lakebed. The fertilizers also foster the growth of algal blooms and bacteria, leaving the waters with the potent pong of rotten eggs.
In one of the new studies, published in the journal Environmental Research, scientists looked at how the drying lakebed is already impacting the local communities that live near the lake.
They found that 24 percent of children in the surrounding area have asthma, significantly higher than the national rate of 8.4 percent for boys and 5.5 percent for girls.
Many of the kids from the local region also reported wheezing and sleep disturbances during periods of especially high dust rates. The closer they were to the lake, the higher the chances of them reporting these health concerns.
“The community has long suspected that air pollution near the sea may be impacting children’s health, but this is the first scientific study to suggest that children living close to the receding shoreline may experience more severe direct health impacts. Protecting public health should be integrated into the mitigation plans,” Jill Johnston, first study author and an associate professor of environmental health at the University of Southern California, said in a statement.
Sunset over Salton Sea during a sizzling summer.
Image credit: Jen L Davis/Shutterstock.com
In the second of the new studies, published in the journal Geographies, scientists looked at Salton’s shrinking shorelines and the growth of its exposed lakebed, which is set to make these health impacts even harsher.
Using balloon mapping, they found that the average rate of retreat between 2002 and 2017 increased from 12.5 meters (41 feet) a year to nearly 38.5 meters (126 feet) per year after 2018. If the trend continues, the lake’s North Shore could retreat 150 meters (492 feet) by 2030 and an additional 172 meters (564 feet) by 2041.
The researchers note that some of these trends can be linked to policy changes. Along with the broader problem of droughts driven by climate change, water flow from the Colorado River to the region has been reduced because of a historic water rights deal in 2003. This issue has worsened since 2018 as more water has been sent to San Diego.
“This research was a direct response to a request from the community, which wanted to be involved in impactful research questions to understand shoreline reduction. The community wants to be able to live next to a Salton Sea that they’re proud of,” Ryan Sinclair, lead study author and associate professor of environmental microbiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, said in another statement.
The Salton Sea has had a tough run in recent decades – and holds an uncertain future. The US Department of Energy recently estimated that the region could hold as much as 3,400 kilotons of lithium, enough to support over 375 million batteries for electric vehicles. Whether people can get their hands on the invaluable mineral, though, is another question.
The first study is published in the journal Environmental Research, and the second in Geographies.
