Did anyone else smell the Salton Sea yesterday? (Los Angeles, San Diego: real estate, buying)

[GSR13]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Thanks for your posts about the future dust from the Salton Sea, Graves and SouthOC. When I said I didn't know what would happen when it dries up, that's not what I meant. We KNOW that will happen, because of the experience with the Owens Lake bed.

What I meant was, I don't know who would take the responsibility for mitigating the problem. The State was able to stick LA with the responsibility for "watering" the Owens Lake bed, because it was LA's demand for water that created and perpetuates the problem. No one is at fault for the Salton Sea drying up, so something might have to be worked out from state funding, or something.

And make no mistake; the dust from those dry lake beds spreads all over the US; it doesn't stay contained in CA or the West. Obviously, the closest towns and cities would be affected more severely. The State will have to come up with a plan.

Here's a photo of the Owens Lake bed, today:
http://blog.fabric.ch/fabric/images/...32488805_2.jpg

The Fed Gov't would probably have to get involved as there's no way to legitimately fix the issue without Mexico's participation. But that should be easy enough as there are 1M people in Mexicali who'd be affected.

As an aside, having endless sprinklers on the sea would probably push the heat index past survivable levels.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by GSR13

I think you can reasonably point the finger at the Imperial Irrigation District. They control the water coming from the Colorado river and sold much of the rights to SD knowing what would happen to the sea. They also keep shunning the idea of importing ocean water from the Gulf of California to keep the Sea level. They're in bed with the state and have the ear of Moonshine. They also own the land under the sea and want to develop it for mineral extraction and building geothermal plants, despite having a very good idea of what would happen to the region should they end up getting their way. Any "mitigation plan" is just an attempt to develop underwater land.

Thank you. Very informative. Sounds like quite the potential legal snarl.

[Brandon Graves]

I remember smelling the Salton Sea at Martha's Village in Indio half the time.

[GSR13]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Thank you. Very informative. Sounds like quite the potential legal snarl.

Yeah, I really can't not see the Feds getting involved at some point. But in the meantime I expect to see the Water Transfer Agreement between the IID and SD amended to delay the start of the transfer.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

This is so sad. The first white pelicans I ever saw were at the Salton Sea. They were beautiful.

[Brandon Graves]

Sometimes I see a flock of seagulls flying/waddling around in Indio.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Originally Posted by Brandon Graves

Sometimes I see a flock of seagulls flying/waddling around in Indio.

So, THAT'S what happened to that band! Now my life is complete!

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Brandon Graves

Allow me to tell you what WILL happen if it dries up. Toxic dust from the Salton Sea will rise up and then spread to the Coachella Valley (where I reside) and the neighboring Imperial Valley down south. This will cause the air quality in both valleys to become much worse, and increase the risk of developing asthma or other respiratory-related health issues. .

Brandon, you probably already know this, but for those who might not, what Brandon is describing is already happening in the Imperial Valley. The Imperial Valley has one of the highest numbers of childhood asthma cases in the country; visits there to hospital rooms for asthma related reasons is twice anywhere else in the state.. See, for example:

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-...140673403.html

I'm sure it's partially hypochondria on my part, but I've been out there a few times where you could see the dust in the air and came home hacking so much that I had to dig out my own asthma inhaler.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia

This is so sad. The first white pelicans I ever saw were at the Salton Sea. They were beautiful.

The most recent plan is to create small pools for migrating birds to replace habitats when the sea is drier. Here's an article on the most recent proposal:

State unveils a 10-year plan to restore habitat and control toxic dust storms along the Salton Sea's receding shoreline - LA Times

Funding, of course, is going to be an issue. It has been since Sonny Bono's days fighting for the Sea.

[Brandon Graves]

Well, then it's only a matter of time for us CV/IV residents to start buying gas masks and other sorts of whatnot! We gotta be prepared for the worst to come for the Salton Sea!