Salton Sea
| Salton Sea | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location |
Colorado Desert Imperial and Riverside Counties, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°18′N 115°48′W / 33.3°N 115.8°WCoordinates: 33°18′N 115°48′W / 33.3°N 115.8°W |
| Type | Endorheic rift lake |
| Primary inflows |
Alamo River New River Whitewater River |
| Primary outflows | None |
| Catchment area | 8,360 square miles (21,700 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States, Mexico |
| Surface area | 343 sq mi (889 km2) |
| Max. depth | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Water volume | 6,000,000 acre·ft (7.4 km3) |
| Surface elevation | −235 ft (−71.7 m) (below sea level) |
| Settlements | Bombay Beach, Desert Beach, Desert Shores, Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, North Shore |
| References | U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Salton Sea |
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's 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. Its surface is 235.2 ft (71.7 m) below sea level as of Feb. 5, 2017. The deepest point of the sea is 5 ft (1.5 m) higher than the lowest point of Death Valley. The sea is fed by the New, Whitewater, and Alamo Rivers, as well as agricultural runoff, drainage systems, and creeks.
Over millions of years, the Colorado River has flowed into the Imperial Valley and deposited soil (creating fertile farmland), building up the terrain and constantly changing the course of the river. For thousands of years, the river has flowed into and out of the valley alternately, creating a freshwater lake, an increasingly saline lake, and a dry desert basin, depending on river flows and the balance between inflow and evaporative loss. The cycle of filling has been about every 400–500 years and has repeated itself many times. The latest natural cycle occurred around 1600–1700 as remembered by Native Americans who talked with the first European settlers. Fish traps still exist at many locations, and the Native Americans evidently moved the traps depending upon the cycle.
The most recent inflow of water from the now heavily controlled Colorado River was accidentally created by the engineers of the California Development Company in 1905. In an effort to increase water flow into the area for farming, irrigation canals were dug from the Colorado River into the valley. Due to fears of silt buildup, a cut was made in the bank of the Colorado River to further increase the water flow. The resulting outflow overwhelmed the engineered canal, and the river flowed into the Salton Basin for two years, filling the historic dry lake bed and creating the modern sea, before repairs were completed.
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