Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Salton Sea's Impending Disaster
Saudi Arabia, of course, isn't the only place where engineering brought water to the desert. Here in California, we accidentally created the state's largest lake back in 1905 after the Colorado River broke through a dam. The Salton Sea covers 380 square miles of otherwise parched land in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readSaudi Arabia, of course, isn't the only place where engineering brought water to the desert. Here in California, we accidentally created the state's largest lake back in 1905 after the Colorado River broke through a dam. The Salton Sea covers 380 square miles of otherwise parched land in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. At first, it was a happy accident. In the 50's and 60's celebrities and vacationers flocked there. But now, with the drought, the Salton Sea is drying up, which could create a huge environmental disaster. What's being done to stop it?
