In the subsequent years, agricultural runoff from farms in the Imperial Valley has fed the Sea and prevented it from fully drying up. "Some are naturally occurring, but the majority comes from the fertilizers from the agriculture there. Luis Olmedo, the executive director for the Comite Civico del Valle, an environmental justice organization in Imperial Valley, said the area has long faced health problems related to air pollutants. In this case, we live in an area where the majority of people are living at a disadvantage.”. In response, a fifth-generation farming family sued the city, saying the initiative threatened their ability to properly fertilize fields because it could not guarantee that runoff would not enter the Lake Erie watershed. The source: The state’s largest lake, the 350-square-mile Salton Sea, was burping up hydrogen sulfide, a gas created by the decaying organic matter trapped beneath the water. A Sea in Trouble. "That's brown algae right there," said Jasmyn Phillips, a longtime Salton City resident who kayaks on or walks along the western shore of the lake several times a week. To date, levels of detected toxins there have been low, but they're there — enough on occasion to trigger caution signs, but not full closures or danger signs. "As the lake is receding, it will expose a … With growing concern from elected officials and residents, county public health staff held a community meeting in Desert Shores in late February. RELATED: Project Takes Aim At Controlling Salton Sea Dust, Reported by Shalina Chatlani Why? It’s also toxic — a looming environmental and public health disaster. Above: Farming is a major economic driver in the Imperial Valley and it will continue to provide water for the Salton Sea. + Subscribe to our podcasts. Connecting the Dots. The California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal collects data from regional inspectors and posts them on a map online. Residents do suffer high rates of asthma and allergies. New national water quality regulations were developed there as a result. Text and … The fish are dying due to the water being too salty - NOT due to toxic chemicals. Created by a 1905 flood that spilled into the area, the Salton Sea rose to prominence as a resort town in the 1950s — “a waterpark playground in the desert,” according to a report by the BBC. The Salton Sea Is Dying—We Can't Let That Happen. Anatoxin-a and saxatoxin are potent nerve poisons, and microcystin has been connected to symptoms ranging from sore throats to severe liver damage. Salton Sea: The Salton Sea is is an endorheic lake in southern California, meaning that it has no outflow to a larger body of water. In the past two years, California and Imperial County officials have begun monitoring programs. Salton Sea mud contains enough arsenic and selenium to qualify for disposal in a dump reserved for the most toxic of society's trash. And as the sea shrinks due to the diversion of waters to urban areas, more of the cyanobacteria and other contaminants that currently lurk in the deeper benthic zone could be exposed, he and others said. We can fix the Salton Sea toxic dust problem with a relatively low-cost, two-phase solution. But as large-scale agriculture and improved testing technology have surged, "toxic algae" are being recognized as a growing problem worldwide. The lack of an outflow means the Salton Sea does not have a natural stabilization system; it is very dynamic. "Eventually, we found it could lead to the airway inflammation, lung cancer, eventually Type 2 diabetes, this kind of stuff.”. But increasing salinity from agricultural irrigation soon shattered the illusion. Without an adequate water supply, the receding Salton Sea leaves behind dead fish and toxic, asthma-inducing dust. People in nearby San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Riverside counties are likely not going to be exposed to these aerosols, UC Riverside associate professor of atmospheric science Roya Bahreini said. IID did not respond to a request for comment. As California's largest lake, the Salton Sea was once a destination people flocked to during the 1950s and 60s. A partnership between the regional water quality board, the Imperial Irrigation District and local farmers to cap sediments appears to have cut down on the thick mats once present in the sea, Sephton said. "In the warmer months it's much more prevalent, because cyanobacteria prefer ample sunlight, full sun, and they like warm, calm waters," Giraci said. A shrinking Salton Sea could expose its toxic-coated bottom to wind storms, posing a major air pollution hazard for eastern Riverside County and the Imperial Valley, officials say. Once a new fiscal year begins and the summer arrives, he and others around the state will resume regular monitoring. Geraci said his annual funds for water monitoring have run out, but given the early onset of scorching heat, he'll probably dip into emergency funds to do some testing this month. Phase 1: Siphon sea water from the Pacific Ocean or Gulf of California to refill the lake to its 1907 level. The area surrounding the Salton Sea already has some of the worst air quality in the country, caused by particulate matter swept up from farms and the desert. It's tougher to close off recreation at the Salton Sea, which measures 15 miles wide by 35 miles long. In the United States, farming activities have largely been exempt from the Clean Water Act since it was adopted in 1972, Van Lent said. Sunny days, fertilizer runoff and sewage can create toxic bacteria at Salton Sea Although rundown, the Salton Sea is … To send a clear message to elected officials- it's time to Save Our Sea. “Typically, the air masses from the Salton Sea area don’t reach these cities,” she said. California's Salton Sea, created by accident in the early 1900s, is set to become the latest casualty in the water wars, and is threatening to take the American West down with it. I don’t know if there was enough of a look into the future to see if this would be sustainable,” Olmedo said. The dry lakebed already spews toxic dust into the air, threatening a … But visitors from around the world who visit, sometimes to let their dogs run or their children romp, may not know about the risks. I t’s just past noon on a Wednesday, but the bar at the Ski Inn in Bombay Beach, California, is already packed. Who doesn’t have a favorite River or Greasy Lake memory? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. RELATED: Imperial County Declares Emergency At Salton Sea. Clear as day, circulating through the Sea, … Millions of birds depend on a healthy Salton Sea—so do the area's kids. California’s largest lake is drying up. Toledo, Ohio's drinking water was shut off for three days in 2014 due to harmful cyanobacteria. The California drought has diminished much of the state’s lakes, rivers and streams, but the rise and demise of the Salton Sea occurred on a different timeline. Stream now or tune in Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. on KPBS TV, Imperial County Declares Emergency At Salton Sea, How A Dying Lake In California Factors Into The Colorado River’s Future, The Shrinking Salton Sea Endangers Region's Health, New Study Traces Airborne Dust Back To Shrinking Salton Sea, County Expands Coronavirus Vaccinations To Those 65-Plus, California’s Ban On Indoor Worship Upheld By Appeals Court, Rain Brings Urban Runoff Danger To Beaches, Bays, Gloria Earmarks $42 Million For Renters; No-Eviction Extension On Table, CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL'S MILK STREET TELEVISION: Vietnamese Every Day, San Diego Sets Single-Day COVID-19 Deaths, ICU Records, San Diego City Starts Business Outreach About Outdoor Dining Safety Requirements, Live Blog: County Expands Coronavirus Vaccinations To Those 65-Plus, County To Use Scientific Data To Justify COVID-19 Enforcement, DoorDash Driver: Vons' Shift To Gig Economy Is Driving Down Wages, KPBS Financial Video by Andi Dukleth. The Salton Sea is expected to fall from 3 to 20 feet in coming years because of rapid evaporation and increased water conservation. Acrobat Reader. "We don't know exactly what the spark is," he said, "but the fuel is always the same thing: fertilizers.". Florida's Lake Okeechobee, one of the largest lakes in the U.S., as well as its tributaries and drainages to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, are now often covered with "guacamole thick" algae, Van Lent said, costing resort and tourist towns millions of dollars in lost revenue. Keep up with all the latest news, arts and culture, and TV highlights from KPBS. Although they dissipate more readily than legacy heavy metals and pesticides, they also can be more concentrated. Closer to home, there have been no reports of related illnesses in the communities along the Salton Sea, said Jeff Lamoure, the deputy director for environmental health at the Imperial County public health department. The Imperial Valley region surrounding the sea has some of the highest asthma rates, particularly for children. As the Salton Sea continues to shrink, “desert winds will lift dust from thousands of acres of newly revealed lakebed and blow it into population centers, … San Diego news; when you want it, where you want it. “We fed the selenium-containing aerosol to the human lung cell," Ahmed said. Local residents … Salton Sea State Recreational Area. After paying millions for municipal treatment and still being exposed due to agricultural runoff into Lake Erie, residents are trying a novel approach. Get the day's top news — ranging from local to international — straight to your inbox each weekday morning. Imperial County supervisors earlier this year directed environmental health staff to create a water desk to address risks, with a focus on the Salton Sea. Editors Note: This article has been updated to correctly report that runoff from the Colorado river carries selenium. 6:30 p.m. ", While the levels observed so far are below World Health Organization amounts identified as dangerous, Geraci said, "just keep in mind, blooms can occur rather suddenly, with the potential to change to toxic conditions just as quickly.". Fluctuations in the water level caused by variations in agricultural runoff, the ancient salt deposits in the lake bed, and the relatively high salinity of the inflow feeding the sea are all causing increasing salinity. Hot weather is on its way, and with it, potentially toxic bacteria could bloom rapidly in California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, and other waters on the receiving end of runoff from farms and golf courses or sewage spills. ", As Salton Sea shrinks algae blooms proliferate, As Salton Sea shrinks dangerous algae blooms proliferate, Cyanobacteria, sometimes called blue-green algae, have been around for billions of years, and can also be red, purple, brown or pink, . Bahreini said dangerous aerosols can be formed anywhere there’s excessive selenium in the soil. "And don't let your kids go in it. An air pollution control officer and a naturalist examine the state-funded habitat restoration and dust suppression project at Red Hill Bay overlooking the Salton Sea … The Salton Sea is Highly Saline, Gradually Shrinking. As the Salton Sea Shrinks, It Leaves Behind a Toxic Reminder of the Cost of Making a Desert Bloom. The Visitor Center is a great place to start the trip, so you can learn more about the history of the Salton Sea. Need help keeping up with the news that matters most? New, coordinated state and county programs could help. He also says other studies suggest agricultural fertilizers are high in selenium, so there has to be more research on how the element affects agricultural communities. “We’ve known that the byproducts of the agriculture industry end up in the Salton Sea. But as large-scale agriculture. Since the Salton Sea is 236 feet below sea level, a siphon is possible and requires little energy. “The desert winds lift dust from the lakebed, and scientists fear that eventually the toxic residue of more than a century of agricultural runoff will be blown into the air — and into the lungs of residents. A spot like the Salton Sea, which exists because of agricultural runoff and an often sewage-polluted river, and which enjoys long, sunny days and often still waters, is an ideal possible breeding ground. Dust-Filled air could be plaguing residents around the Lake toxic of society 's trash Sea from. Major economic driver in the animal is they go into convulsions and within an hour they usually. 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