During the early 1900s, it became an important bird and. At a time when the salton sea is due for restoration, this historical account is just as important today as it was 100 years ago. Riverside county has a new plan to fix the salton sea or. Around this time the salton sea began to enter my awareness, via. Situated in the sonoran desert in southeastern california is the salton sea, the largest lake in the state.
The salton sea naval base that oversaw the target range was on the southwest shore, four miles east of the present highway 86, local author pat laflin wrote in the salton sea. Short history of the salton sea audubon california. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the salton sink in the colorado desert of imperial and riverside counties in southern california. The lake grew over the next two years, until workers were able to staunch the massive flow. The salton sea near the mexican border in southern california has been at various levels for three million years. The salton sea an accounting of harrimans fight with the colorado river by george kennan 1917. For two years, water flowed into the salton sink and ancient lake cahuilla. The salton sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the san andreas fault, predominantly in the u. Bombay beach bombay beach, california atlas obscura. Salton sea california 2020 all you need to know before. The salton sea was created by accident in 1905, when water from the colorado river spilled out of a poorlyconstructed california development company irrigation system. Monuments, missteps, and the audacity of ambition kindle edition by rathbun, russell.
The history of imperial county california edited by finnis c. Starting with the canard that the only manmade objects visible from space are the great wall of china and californias salton sea, rathbun spends time with both, exploring chinese history and recounting his time living in china for a few months, and detailing his family connections to the salton sea, which drove him to research the genesis. The salton sea history museum is the new jewel of the salton sea, and is. The salton sea, california postcard history series.
The salton sea in california turned from a relaxing resort. Birds of the salton sea by michael patten, guy mccaskie. The salton sea test base sstb was originally established by the department of the navy as the salton sea naval air facility in 1942. Throughout the late 1950s and into the 1960s, tourists came in droves to the sea with annual visitations sometimes surpassing those at yosemite national park. A personal journey through the literature of the salton sea. The long history of the salton trough ranges from its connection with the gulf of california during the tertiary period to the maximum spread of lake cahuilla beginning some 40,000 years ago. The salton basin has held various waters over the last three million years as the colorado river changed its course and spilled over, filling up the basin with fresh water lakes that would eventually evaporate. Mexico border in 1905 on the desert east of san diego, millions of gallons of fresh water spilled into the salton trough, historically an arm of the lower colorado river delta at. No one went to the salton sea for anything, much less art. The imperial valley and the salton sink by harry thomas cory with introductory monograph by william phipps blake 1915. Farr 1918 the first thirty years 1901 1931 an accounting of the principal events in the history of imperial valley, southern california, u. The meeting has been expanded to include an authors talk and reception for the salton sea stories exhibit, so bill and i will talk about the history and our experiences of the sea and our cooperative writing of the book. A monitoring and assessment plan developed by a interagency team to help identify an ecosystem restoration program for the salton sea. In my first travel documentary about this strange yet fascinating place in californias imperial valley, i explore the sea and surrounding.
Folly and intervention in the southern california landscape, 19052005 by kim stringfellow, i. Memoirs of the southern california academy of sciences. Salton sea, california ghost town lake in the desert. What a wild waterride the salton sea has taken from the lakes creation in 1905 by a flood to todays recreational area. The salton sink lies between the southern coachella valley and the northern mexicali valley. The paperback of the the salton sea, california postcard history. Salton sea, california, colorado river, ecology, book section created date. Technically a saline lake, it is saltier than the ocean, though slightly. The salton sea is a manmade catastrophe, redolent with the smell of algae and.
The salton sea authority is a joint powers authority jpa empowered to revitalize the salton sea in consultation and cooperation with state and federal governments. New from arcadia publishings postcard history series is the salton sea. How the colorado river created the salton sea the salton sea, circa 1920. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Short history of the salton sea when irrigation canals from the colorado river jumped their levees near the u.
Its a unique area that flooded in the early 1900s and became the sea actually californias largest lake. Amid the wasteland of the salton sea, a miraculous but. Start your visit to the area at the visitor center in mecca. By 1906 it was a fully fledged lake, and surveyors noted that several species of waterfowl and pelicans were nesting in the area. A history of the salton sink the story of the salton sea has three distinct beginnings, each of which paints a different portrait. The salton sea by karl anderson arcadia publishing books. The salton sea by suzanne lindell and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Well, as my mom would say when at a loss for words, its interesting. Fishing, swimming, boat racing, waterskiing, golf, and partying were popular recreational activities.
Theres a fascinating interpretive center with plenty of history including old posters and advertisements from the salton seas past as a vacation destination. The salton sea has a fascinating history and is one of the most important inland seas for water birds of north america. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The irrigation played a large role, with fresh water pumped up out of the lake, run over the fields where it dissolved salts out of the soil, and then the excess water just flowed downhill, back to the lake to be used again. We satopped into numerous places including the state vistorrs center and the bombay beach community.
Historic evidence and geologic studies have shown that the colorado river has. Birth of the inland sea how the colorado river created the salton sea by ellen lloyd trover in autumn 1904, the california. Sitting on the north shore of californias largest lake, the salton sea, this recently restored historic treasure was designed by famed midcentury architect albert frey. The salton sea was so named in 1905, but its history begins in the salton basin of ancient times a time removed some 10,000 years. The book, which is drawn from an original installation, is laid out like a handbook to the sights, sounds, and smells of the salton sea over time, chronicling the series of disjointed visions and somewhat haphazard events that produced the strange, ruinous presentday sea.
This book is an important contribution to our understanding of the distribution and abundance of birds on our continent. If you remember the old days or are curious about them, i invite you to enjoy the photos, history and memoir in our new book, queen of the salton sea. The salton sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the san andreas fault, predominantly in californias imperial and coachella valleys. Helen burns and me, published in august by sagebrush press in yucca valley. Summary from a 2014 workshop on the state of the salton sea. This book is the first thoroughly detailed book to describe the birds of salton sea, more than 450 species and subspecies in. From a geological standpoint, we can view the long history of the salton trough from its connection with the gulf of california during. Sadly, this crucial stopover along the pacific flyway for migratory and wintering shorebirds, landbirds, and waterfowl is dangerously close to collapse from several environmental threats.
The exhibit includes many pieces of memorabilia on loan from early salton sea families and the salton sea history museum archives. In vintage photographs and postcards, local author karl anderson shares the history of the area. Over the years, ive heard of the salton sea, but didnt know much about it. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images, giving readers a unique opportunity to reconnect to the history that shaped their community. It was designed to be the california version of the french.
Currently, its surface is 226 ft 69 m below sea level. The salton sea an accounting of harrimans fight with the colorado river by george kennan 1917 the history of imperial county california edited by finnis c. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images, giving readers a unique opportunity to. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the great wall of china and the salton sea. Today, the sea is 227 feet below sea level, covers approximately 376 square miles, and is californias largest lake. The salton sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the san andreas fault, predominantly in californias imperial and coachella valleys the lake occupies the lowest elevations of the salton sink in the colorado desert of imperial and riverside counties in southern california. The salton sea, california postcard history series by karl. Also included in the exhibit are panels from portraits and voices of the salton sea, a new book by christina lange. A compact book that briefly covers a century of history of the salton sea, containing minimal textual content which is augmented significantly by many plates, spotlighting byproducts of the many failed commercial developments around the shore. The facility was used for seaplane and bombing range operations, rocket development work and testing of jet engine propellant mixtures. A few months ago, i drove 30 minutes from my home in indio to the shores of the salton sea to see an art installation. Before it was destroyed by the salton sea, bombay beach was meant to be a playground for rich vacationers in the 1940s and 50s. The tributary to the salton sea continued fill the fledgling lake, eroding the banks of other nearby lakes, and soon sucking them away, quickly filling the new lake with the liquidy remains. Be sure and visit the museum gift shop while youre there. At the salton sea geothermal field ssgf, strain accumulation is released through seismic slip and.