Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Salton Sea Study
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.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readThe 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.”
