The Salton Sea: The History of America’s Most Unique Lake

In the list of popular American geological oddities and attractions, one sizeable phenomenon remains surprisingly unfamiliar to the average citizen. This may be due in part to its remote desert location, but perception of the Salton Sea in southern California is also laden with environmental concerns and is in a constant state of flux. The extensive body of inland saltwater hides a glorious commercial past and has served as an important wildlife preserve but approaches a seemingly inevitable crisis in the coming decade.

The Salton Sea in not directly “on the way” to anything substantial or iconic, and is situated one hour’s drive from Palm Springs, 30 miles to the south of Indio, California on Highway 111. Its distance from Los Angeles and San Diego is approximately three hours driving time. The most recognizable natural phenomenon of Imperial and Riverside counties, it is surrounded by a rural area comprised of predominantly migrant farm workers and located in the southern Colorado desert area known as the Salton Trough, or Salton Sink.

Despite being a natural occurrence filling and emptying intermittingly throughout history, the current presence of this large inland sea surrounded by sand was created accidentally in the early 20th century. First formed around 700 CE, the original and much larger version of the great inland lake was called Lake Cahuilla, connected to the Sea of Cortez. By the time the first Europeans arrived in the 16th century, the basin was completely dry as Don Juan Bautista led the first party across the basin’s expanse. 

The “accidental” creation of the lake’s modern version was a product of the rising Colorado that destroyed a crucial section of the canal system designed to help farmers. Millions of gallons of water were forced into the lowland area. Beyond the one breach, the entire volume of the river flowed into the Salton lowlands for nearly two years before engineers finally stopped it.