The Salton Sea: An Ecological Disaster You Should Absolutely Visit
The Salton Sea is a mesmerizing destination with a complicated history. For one thing, this body of water was never supposed to exist in the first place. The Salton Sea and its surrounding communities are scenes of contradictions that are being desecrated by the very elements that historically kept the area thriving.
We headed to this seemingly forgotten corner of the globe on a road trip that took us from Ensenada, Mexico to Palm Springs, before looping back west to San Diego. This was a stop on our “weird places in the desert” tour.
We stepped out of the car and onto the sand. Ahead of us was a beach unlike any we had ever visited before. The view itself wasn’t strange. It was a beach – a long sand plateau led up to a calm waterfront, which reflected the sun and the mountains behind. What was strange was that we were in the middle of the desert at a place that has been called California’s biggest environmental disaster. We were standing at the base of the largest and saltiest lake in California: the Salton Sea nestled within California’s Sonoran Desert between in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.
The little town we had come through to get to the water was called Bombay Beach.
On the way into town we passed a billboard along the highway offering up an ironic and disorienting advertisement. Big, swoopy letters spread across the top of the sign that read “Visit Bombay Beach” (exclamation point implied by the frenzied font choice). Below the text is an image of a woman on water skis, holding on to the rope with one hand, the other flung into the air in a “look-at-how-much-fun-I’m-having” kind of gesture. Advertisements for the Ski Inn Bar and Grill and the Bombay Beach Market float along the bottom of the sign inviting visitors to check out their offerings.
As we stood near the car, breathing in the salty (and I mean salty) air, I looked to see who else was visiting this desert beach. Our fellow beach-goers were mostly people like us – couples or small groups of people wandering around, most with cameras clutched to their hand, a family enjoying lunch on the hood of their car. Even though it was December, the weather was warm and people were moving freely around the beach. But no one was laying out on the sand – there was no sunbathing. And absolutely no one was swimming in the water – or touching it for that matter.
Adjacent to the beach lies the town of Bombay Beach, which consists of a grid of mobile homes and small houses. Many of which have eccentric yards with sculptures or oddities peering out toward the curious onlooker. Bombay Beach is one of many forgotten towns that occupy the shorelines of the Salton Sea.
There is one restaurant in town and the nearest gas station is 20 miles away.
It’s hard to imagine this remote lakefront community, with a dwindling population of 231, as a thriving vacation resort with energetic boat races and water skiing. But that’s absolutely what was here in the 1950s. A beach haven for families and the famous alike (oh hello Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra) to come escape the desert heat.
The Salton Sea’s Destructive History
Let’s take a step backwards. Before we get into how a prospering resort destination turned into a barren and nearly forgotten community, we should note that this salty lake, the Salton Sea, wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place, and it didn’t begin as a salty body of water.
Thanks to the Colorado River, naturally-fertile lands surround the Salton Sea. Over millions of years the River has spilled over into the Imperial Valley, creating bodies of water and intermittent lakes. The various natural flooding events created the fertile farming lands that brought agriculture to the area.
Realizing the potential economic impact of farming in the Imperial Valley, engineers of the California Development Company embarked on a poorly conceived irrigation project that diverted water from the Colorado River to provide water for farming endeavors.
In 1905 heavy rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains led to significant flooding that broke through the canals, forcing water into the Salton Basin. Two new rivers formed – the New River and the Alamo River – and for nearly two years the Colorado River eroded into the dry land of the Imperial Valley. By the time the canals were repaired, the Salton Sea had formed.
This is not the first time a lake was created here. For millennia, the Colorado River has alternated its course, sometimes depositing into the Imperial Valley creating freshwater lakes, and other times into the gulf, leaving the Imperial Valley a dry desert. This is the first time, though, that the lake has been formed by manmade interventions.
An Accidental Victory
The lake would have naturally dried up if it weren’t for the inflow of agricultural runoff from farming activities in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. This runoff is the single largest contributor of water into the lake and is what keeps the water body from naturally drying up.
With the agriculture industry booming, and a growing freshwater lake glistening off to the side, the Salton Sea flourished as a vacation destination in the 1950s and 1960s, capitalizing on the popularity of the desert paradise concept. As was the case with the nearby desert party town of Palm Springs, resort towns sprang up around the Salton Sea and attracted starlights – have I mentioned The Beach Boys?!
Birds were naturally attracted to wetlands that formed around the lake, and in 1930 a wildlife refuge was established. Birdwatching took off (pun intended) and brought in birdwatchers from all over the country. The Salton Sea became a stop on the Pacific Flyway, a highway for birds if you will, extending from Alaska to Patagonia.
Fish were introduced to the lake and the fishing industry prospered. Yacht clubs opened. Fancy hotels welcomed guests from far and wide. More tourists were coming to the Salton Sea than to Yosemite National Park. The resort towns were thriving. Life at this accidental desert lake was good.
So to recap. Big man-made flooding disaster leads to an accidental lake. But ultimately farming and tourism flourish. Birds and fish establish habitats. Towns and employment grow. So everyone wins? They made lemonade out of some almost rotted lemon?
Not quite.
The Salton Sea’s Short-Lived Fame
The Salton Sea is known as a terminal lake, meaning that it retains its water, never draining into another body of water. The water either evaporates or seeps into the ground. This compounds over time and has resulted in an unusually high salt content in the water, getting worse every year. In other words, the Salton Sea is salty and getting saltier.
As of this writing, the Salton Sea is now more than 50% saltier than the Pacific Ocean and is the 12th saltiest body of water in the world.
High salinity levels in bodies of water is not necessarily a bad thing. Think the Dead Sea. The difference is that the Dead Sea is not fed by agricultural runoff and did not have fish artificially introduced into its waters. The Dead Sea actually doesn’t have any living organisms except some specially adapted bacteria and fungi. Living creatures are not meant to survive in such high salinity levels.
The Salton Sea’s excitement of the 50s and 60s was short-lived. The runoff that kept the lake so big also contains salts and fertilizers, contributing to increased salinity in the lake. Additionally, when the runoff drains through soil, ancient salt deposits are released, adding to the salinity levels.
But the runoff isn’t done with its destructive streak. The runoff from the farms also resulted in the formation of large algal blooms, which increased the bacteria levels in the water.
Ok. Lots of salt and now dangerous bacteria.
By the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s the increased salinity made the lake inhospitable to wildlife. Freshwater fish populations that were introduced into the lake early on began dying out in masses (and I mean masses) due to their inability to live in such intense saline.
Bird populations were also significantly affected, dying due to the hypersalinity and contaminants in the water as well as a lack of food supplies as the fish disappeared.
And the domino affect continues.
Dead fish washed up on the beaches by the thousands. Despite this being a manmade lake, the wildlife had grown and established thriving habitats. Dead fish decaying in the lake led to the formation of more dangerous algae.
The mass die-off of wildlife led to terrible smells that engulfed the area, triggering odor advisories from the state that sometimes went as far as Los Angeles.
The decrease in wildlife continued in dramatic fashions over the next several decades.
By the late 1970s, tourism disappeared, and many of the former resorts were left abandoned. To add insult to injury, in 1976 Hurricane Kathleen caused significant flooding and damage to the structures and people that remained.
The Wrong Kind of Fame
In the decades since, conditions have not gotten much better. Various efforts to preserve water and direct the much needed resource away from the rural areas and over to the growing cities resulted in less water flow into the lake.
The very source that is killing the lake (runoff) is what kept it alive for so many decades. With reduced water flows from the farms, the lake is drying up. As the lake recedes, the land that was formerly covered with water is now exposed. This land is infused with chemicals from years of absorbing runoff. When the land dries up, wind blows and kicks up a toxic cloud of dust that moves over the nearby communities.
Asthma rates are higher in Imperial County than other areas, and there are documented chronic health problems of the residents in the nearby areas. Of course there are other sources of pollution that contribute – the general pollution created by agricultural industry, the smog from the cars that sit at the Mexico / U.S. border – but the problems from the Salton Sea are a major contributor.
Back to December 2021 at the Salton Sea
So here we stood, gazing out at an environmental disaster whose lasting impressions and implications are still felt by those who live in the communities that surround the lake. There are ongoing efforts to preserve the habitats and protect the people who live here, but the stench from the lake is undeniable.
We walked the shoreline on top of the crushed bones of millions of dead fish, feeling the intense salinity in our noses.
Across this huge beach (don’t forget it’s receding so the sand has become quite deep) are sculptures and art projects just about everywhere you look.
Artist Interventions at Bombay Beach
While many have referred to Bombay Beach as a deserted, ghost town with an eerie “mad max” feeling, the town is seeing a resurgence through the arts community and curious tourists (like us) coming through.
There is a long documented history of artists’ involvement in revitalization movements. While there is often controversy associated with an influx of artists in depressed or blighted areas as their presence is sometimes linked to gentrification, there’s no doubt they tend to spur new interest in largely forgotten areas.
In the mid 2000’s the art community took an interest in Bombay Beach. Early documentaries and zombie movies first drew people’s attention. Then a spark was ignited in 2015 with the founding of the Bombay Beach Biennale.
The Biennale is designed to bring attention to the region and the ongoing environmental catastrophe. Artists, performers, and other creative minds descend on Bombay Beach each year to showcase their work, all of which is dedicated to the town and designed to elevate the plights of the community.
Across the beach and throughout the town are art installations, almost all of them an ironic representation of the beach’s iconic and complicated history. Even the town’s name “Bombay Beach” evokes a sense of parity.
So What’s Next for the Salton Sea
While in theory it’s a good thing that the amount of contaminants and runoff is reduced, the dangerous dust-born emissions are a significant health threat to the local communities. While mitigation movements started slow, there are now multi-phase plans in place to restore habits, maintain the lake bed, and protect the communities, including a 112-acre dust suppression project. The slow reaction time on behalf of the government has garnered criticism and the accusation that such inaction is one of social injustice, given the predominately minority population that is affected by the sea’s destruction.
Visiting the Salton Sea
With all that context in mind, we absolutely recommend a visit to the Salton Sea and its various communities. While it’s no longer a bustling resort destination, there is lots to see and do in the area. It’s also quite frankly a unique experience that is much more appreciated having known its elaborate and tangled history. This is not just another lake.
How to Get to the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach
The Salton Sea is flanked by State Route 111 to the east and 86 to the west. There are several small towns along its eastern and western shores worth visiting, bust as we said we headed to Bombay Beach from Niland. For this route, we went north on Route 111 and turned left at our favorite billboard. Conversely from the north, Bombay Beach is an hour and 10 minutes from Palm Springs on Route 111, the Salton Sea’s sister oasis.
What to Do When Visiting
Bombay Beach was a great quick stop for us. We stayed about an hour and 45 minutes – between exploring the beach, driving through the town, and eating at the Ski Inn. In addition to this artist haven, the Salton Sea offers camping at the Salton Sea Recreation Area along its northeastern coast, and the the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge at its southern shore.
While much of this post has focused on the environmental desecration of the Sea, there are absolutely still viable camping sites, hiking areas, and birdwatching outposts. All is not lost.
Salton Sea State Recreation Area
The Salton Sea State Recreation Area offers campsites at four campgrounds along the Sea’s coastline. If you’ve picked up anything from this post, it’s probably no surprise that you are not allowed to swim in the sea. Fishing is permitted, as there still are some fish, mostly tilapia, surviving in the sea, but the state cautions against eating too much and provides this helpful pamphlet to identify what’s safe.
Campgrounds can be reserved through ReserveCalifornia and it’s been recommended to bring some strong bug repellent for the flies and mosquitos
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is for the birds! Renamed for the State Congressman (and singer) who focused on preservation efforts for the Sea, the Refuge is located within the Pacific Flyway and offers important habitats for migrating birds. Literally hundreds of bird species have found habitats here and continue to visit each year. While much of the wetlands and habitats are gone, the area is still a vital stop for migratory birds and continues to offer some excellent birdwatching.
March through October the Refuge is open 7 am to 3:15 pm Monday through Friday. Between October and March it’s open Tuesday to Sunday 8 am to 4:15 pm.
The Lowest Bar in the Western Hemisphere
We ended our visit with a stop at the Ski Inn. One of the establishments that was listed on the brazen billboard that we saw as we entered the town. It is the only restaurant in town and is by far the best dive bar I have visited in a long time.
Their sign out front advertises the Ski Inn as “The Lowest Bar in the Western Hemisphere.” A point I have yet to mention, is that Bombay Beach is the lowest community in the United States, with an elevation of -236 feet.
The Ski Inn is plastered floor to ceiling with dollar bills, each signed by a previous visitor to the bar, one of which being Anthony Bourdain, although we did not find his dollar bill. We were there in the middle of the week in the mid afternoon, and the restaurant was almost empty, with the exception of a few people in seats and several men at the bar.
John ordered us cheeseburgers from the bar while I explored the extent of the dollar bill wallpaper and found the bathroom, which I almost mistook for just another part of the wall.
The origin of the dollar bill walls goes back 30 years to a patron who simply asked if he could put his dollar on the wall. His small action spurred a movement and there we were, 30 years later, looking for a spot to put our dollar. This proved to be harder than expected as available space was few and far between. We eventually found a spot in the pool room, above a white piano.
We each ordered a cheeseburger with fries, which we have to say was pretty great. It really hit the spot and satisfied the hunger the desert had drilled up in us.
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