The Salton Sea, one of California’s most surreal landmarks, takes up 350 square miles in the otherwise parched desert south of Palm Springs. Decades ago, the lake was a hotspot for tourists and celebrities. Now, after years of environmental deterioration, the Salton Sea is on the brink of becoming a public health disaster. A study out today says cleaning it up would cost some $10 billion. But not cleaning it up could cost seven times that over the next 30 years.
Author Ransom Riggs produced this video about the Salton Sea. It’s called “The Accidental Sea.”