Salton Sea – Hydrosphere
Local Scale
Salton Sea, CA
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This map shows California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, on a large scale map. The
Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when an irrigation canal ruptured, diverting the Colorado River
into the Salton Basin in southeastern California. This large lake supports the rich agricultural
runoff of the Imperial, Coachella, the Alamo River and the New River. Because the Salton Sea
has no outlet its water is rich with nutrients like phosphates and nitrates and its salinity is
greater than that of the Pacific Ocean with its concentration increasing by 1% annually. Just the
runoff from the New River picks up agricultural pesticides, dead animal, industrial wastes and
human excrement as it flows north. By the time the New River crosses the U.S./Mexico border
near Calexico, CA, the river violates water quality standards by several hundredfold.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=69085
Regional Scale
Salton Sea, CA
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This map shows California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, on a medium scale map.
Due to the lack of an outflow, the fertilizer runoffs combined with the increasing salinity have
resulted in large algal blooms and elevated bacterial levels. This water is rich with nutrients like
phosphates and nitrates, which spur the growth of plants like algae in the lake. On the small
photo taken from space, the Salton Sea is mostly covered up by Algal blooms. An Algal bloom is
a rapid increase in the density of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms sometimes are
natural phenomena, but their frequency, duration and intensity are increased by nutrient
pollution. The development and decay of several large algae blooms start to grow from a green
fringe on the shores of the lake to a murky green swirl that covers much of the lake. Then, as
the bloom dies, it fades to a dull brown. The sea clears the next day, though traces of algae
remain. Subsequent blooms develop and fade away on varying scales throughout the summer
and into the autumn.
Sources:
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=69085
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom
Global Scale
Salton Sea, CA
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This map shows California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, on a small scale map.
The lack of an outflow means the salinity of the Salton Sea is rising and affecting some of the
species in it. It has been reported of having a salinity level exceeding 4.0% and many species of
fish can no longer survive. The selenium from sewage and agricultural runoff accumulates in the
silt at the bottom where it is ingested by pile worms. These worms are in turn eaten by the fish
who serve as food for higher life forms including people. At each successive level of the food
chain the selenium becomes more and more concentrated. Studies have shown that drainwater
contaminants are accumulating in tissues of migratory and resident birds that use food sources
in the Salton Sea. Selenium concentrations in fish eating birds could affect reproduction. In the
summer months of June, July, and August 2000, 413 brown pelicans (an endangered species)
and 2 million fish (mostly tilapia) died.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=69085
http://www.fdungan.com/salton.htm
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7LC3alNnmA