What's up with the Salton Sea area? (San Diego, Palm Springs: real estate, 2009)

[jkoz]

I'm from San Diego but took the "scenic route" into Palm Springs over the mountain and onto Rte 86 last weekend. I wanted to check out the Salton Sea and the area around it as I've never seen it--only to find there isn't much there. It was almost eery as there didn't seem to be anyone around. I was looking for a larger grocery store and had a hard time finding one. What is the history of this area? Is it a bad area? Was it at one time nice? Just curious about it as I'm not from the area. Needless to say, I didn't spend much time there

[GoodbyeCalifornia]

The area known as the Salton Sea was once the tip of the Gulf of California. The Colorado River once emptied into the east side of what has been referred to as the Salton Sink. Over time, silt built up and the outflow of river water was cut off, creating a freshwater lake. The lake that once was is known locally as Lake Cahuilla. While the level of this lake fluctuated, at one point it was 44 feet above that of the present "sea". If you look at the rocks around the area, you can still see the waterline of the old lake. As the Colorado River often changed course and the area temperatures are so high, evaporation was usually higher then what could be naturally replenished and the lake dried up. It the late 1800's the dry lake bed was the site of salt mining operations.

In the 1900's attempts were being made to irrigate the Imperial Valley for farming purposes. Canals were built to divert Colorado River water for just that purpose. In 1905, one of the canals was breached and water flowed non-stop for nearly two years into the dried up Salton Sink. And so, the Salton "Sea" was born. Normally, this too would have disappeared as the earlier lake did, but there is just enough inflow of water from agricultural runoff to keep it alive. The Salton Sea area became a popular tourist attraction due in large part to the number of migrating birds that use it as a stopover. Fish were introduced into the sea and this was also an added draw.

The Salton Sea's heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's. Developers moved into the area, promoting it as a sort of "Desert Riviera". The feeling of the time was that the whole place was ripe for a real estate boom. Land was subdivided and streets layed out for all of the houses that would surely be built. Two yacht clubs were built on the shores of the sea to accomodate all of the boaters that utilized it.

Unfortunately the boom never really materialized. By the 1980's, the area was in decline. Heavier rains then normal caused more inflow into the sea and the resulting flooding of many of the structures built close to the shore finally led people to give up and leave. Increased salt levels in the sea killed off most of the fish species that were introduced into it. Sewage is also flowing into the sea from Mexico which is raising bacteria levels.

There have been attempts to capitalize on the now past real estate boom in the Palm Springs area. Because land and housing costs went up so high in the entire Coachella Valley, one of the few places that had cheap land was around the Salton Sea. Large housing developments were planned and some new homes were built but I don't know the exact number. And the area is still popular with people with RV's who like to spend the winter there.

As to what the future for the Salton Sea is, it's really hard to say. Some argue it should be saved, others argue that since it was created by accident, then it should be allowed to dry up. I guess time will tell which side wins the argument.

[Twinkle Toes]

Salton City is also referred to as Meth Lab City, sharing that dubious distinction with Desert Hot Springs.

[jkoz]

Thanks for the detailed and interesting replies. I didn't know its history, nor that it had the dubious distinction of being a meth capitol! It just felt very
twilight zone-ish to me around there. I read somewhere that Sinatra or Dean Martin or some celeb used to come from Palm Springs to water ski on the lake--undoubtedly during the heyday of the 50s and 60s--I didn't see any water skiers!

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by jkoz

Thanks for the detailed and interesting replies. I didn't know its history, nor that it had the dubious distinction of being a meth capitol! It just felt very
twilight zone-ish to me around there. I read somewhere that Sinatra or Dean Martin or some celeb used to come from Palm Springs to water ski on the lake--undoubtedly during the heyday of the 50s and 60s--I didn't see any water skiers!

Nope. Probably just dead, rotting fish.

[lisayoung2020]

If you go online and google the salton sea a very interesting story about the sea and the area is all there. I actually went there and took off my shoes and realized I was walking on fish bones and teeth and it was very sharp, not sand at all. The salt content doesn't allow certain fish to live very long, but they say it is safe for humans. HMMMM, but anyway read up on it as it is interesting and a part of history.

[mcterry65]

I was at the Salton Sea State Park in April 2009. I didn't make it to Salton City. The "beach" is shells and bones. It looks great from a distance but up close the water is not so nice. There was a stench mostly from the cut off pools around the shore line. The pools were very gross. Anyway, I was there to windsurf and as the wind picked up I did venture into the Salton Sea and had a nervous windsurf session. I did fall in once, but kept my head out and had a thin wetsuit on. Other than a nasty residue on my sail, no adverse effects. I am glad I had the experience since it is such a strange place.

[esmith143]

It's interesting to compare Salton Sea with the Great Salt Lake (the one in Utah).

Great Salt Lake is a lot more saline than Salton Sea. It also stinks, and I've never seen so many mosquitoes anywhere else.

That did not stop Mormons from building a city that's one third the size of San Diego less than twenty miles from the Great Salt Lake.

We Californians are really spoiled.

[poipu96756]

what an informative thread. thank you 'Goodbye Ca.' for a great synopsis. i live in Viet Nam and think of returning to the USA at some point but can't seem to find a place that would be comfortable. the meth lab info was a real turn-off but all in all it seems like an interesting area.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by esmith143

It's interesting to compare Salton Sea with the Great Salt Lake (the one in Utah).

Great Salt Lake is a lot more saline than Salton Sea. It also stinks, and I've never seen so many mosquitoes anywhere else.

That did not stop Mormons from building a city that's one third the size of San Diego less than twenty miles from the Great Salt Lake.

We Californians are really spoiled.

No, unlike the Mormons we Californians had many more attractive options just on the other side of the big mountain range.... coastal Southern California and the inland valleys. We didn't have to settle for a craphole like the Utah Mormons did.