Say we create an artificial lake, feeding it with wasted agricultural runoff. And say during this time, we destroy lots of natural lakes and wetlands — so that this artificial lake becomes a last-ditch haven for endangered species.
That’s the controversy surrounding this huge Californian lake called the Salton Sea. Heard of it? I hadn’t –
Enter the film Plagues & Pleasures of the Salton Sea. Once known as the California Riviera and a fishing capital, this oddity of a lake was created when water from the Colorado River got diverted and dumped into the Salton Sink in Imperial Valley.
Now, Salton Sea’s the largest lake in Cali, sitting below sea level about 50 miles south of Palm Springs and averaging 15 by 35 miles. Oh — and despite serving as a home for some endangered birds, the sea’s a bit of an ecological disaster.
The combo of desert evaporation plus salty irrigation runoff from farms feeding the Salton Sea made the lake saltier and saltier — meaning tons of dead fish and birds, meaning large dieoffs of fish and birdies.
This once-resort-town’s now a wasteland for the people living on it too. Residents talk about going on welfare, about the lack of resources, about liquor stores closing at 6 pm.
Sonny Bono got restoration efforts going before he died. Yet despite government claims about “13 years of progress,” this 2006 film makes clear that efforts to restore this lake are stagnant if not dead.
The film’s not a simple rah-rah for restoring the Salton Sea. I mean, we’re talking about a man-made lake kept in existence by agricultural inefficiencies. And to piss off environmentalists further, the arguments for restoring the sea’s mostly about economic benefits — basically an effort to create a “playground for the rich,” encouraging tourism.
Yet the farming inefficiencies that’ve created this disaster of a sea are in fact mitigating the gross man-made ecological disasters that destroyed wetlands in other areas. The Salton Sea’s harboring endangered species kicked out of natural habitats with nowhere else to go.
Aren’t polluted post-modern conundrums fun? Watch the film yourself at a screening on Sunday, September 30, 2007, at 2 pm at Kristi Engle Gallery, Spring Arts Tower, 453 S. Spring St., Downtown Los Angeles.
Wow, you hadn’t heard of the Salton Sea? That’s been one of the biggest ongoing environmental issues of southern California for the past two decades.
Should we allocate the necessary (huge) amount of water needed to keep the lake alive (at the expense of other users of the water, and probably permanently preventing enough water from ever reaching the Colorado river delta) or should we let it dry up and force migrating birds to go somewhere else?
Overall it’s a silly place to have a large lake, and no one would have put it there on purpose. It was good for birds while the water lasted (at least the initial clean river water.. the later agricultural runoff probably wasn’t so great for them) but it seems hard to justify sending additional water there rather than letting it stay in the Colorado river.
Comment by Tim Buchheim — September 11, 2007 @ 4:58 pm
If I were in charge of our financial resources, I’d focus on preserving the wetlands we have left (no net loss, no gross loss, no loss whatsoever, outside of a state-of-emergency!).
I’m not sure how wise it would be, however, to let the lake dry up. Wouldn’t that lead to severe air quality problems, with contaminated sediments blowing around? That’s what happened when Owens Lake dried up.
Plus, who are the “other users” being denied water? I suspect these are hypothetical people, moving in to anticipated desert towns yet to be built. No more sprawl, thank you. I’ll take the Sea!
Comment by Rafi — September 11, 2007 @ 8:52 pm
I saw this or a similar doc film a couple of months ago on Sundance Channel, I think. I recognize some of the players. Either way, I hadn’t heard of the Salton Sea prior to the documentary either. I love how the folks in the town are stuck in a visually appealing time warp.
If this is the same film, I remember the local Game & Fish Warden having to scoop birds out of the water that got caught in oil or some other “goo”. I’m pretty neutral on what, if anything, should be done about it and would like to hear compelling arguments for both sides. T
Comment by Tammi B. — September 12, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
Considering the looming water crisis in Cali, I’m leaning toward Rafi’s point of view. Of course, this would need to be done in conjunction with efforts to revitalize more natural wetlands….
Comment by Siel — September 17, 2007 @ 11:58 pm