The Salton Sea, in Southern California, was once a resort destination for the rich and famous, but now it is an ecological disaster, abandoned and neglected. It is fed by agricultural runoff and the highly polluted New River. The sea's lack of outflow results in increasing salinity and bacterial levels as well as algal blooms that kill all but the hardiest of fish. These dead fish have, in turn, severely affected the area's massive bird population. The smell of the polution and algal blooms coupled with the dead fish and birds have significantly curtailed the area's tourism. Resources such as fresh water that can help save the sea from further environmental damage are diverted to nearby areas such as Palm Springs. Needless to say, the future of the Salton Sea is bleak.
The purpose of this essay is meant to explore the remnants of man's abandonment of the Salton Sea and nature's efforts to reclaim her land. There is a beauty that lies beneath the death and decay of this desert sea's landscape and it is my hope to convey some of the qualities that have fascinated me about this place. This region is important not only to the people that still live there, but also to the large avian population that depend on the sea. It is worth preserving.