#WEATHER UP DATE FOR SALINE LA SERIES#

As the lake bed became exposed, the winds sent clouds of toxic dust into nearby communities. Tourism was drastically reduced.Īfter 1999, the lake began to shrink as local agriculture used the water more efficiently so less runoff flowed into the lake. Salinity rose so high that large fish kills occurred, often blighting the beaches of the sea with their carcasses. Massive die-offs of the avian populations have occurred, especially after the loss of several species of fish on which they depend. In the 1980s, contamination from farm runoff promoted the outbreak and spread of diseases. In the 1970s, scientists issued warnings that the lake would continue to shrink and become more inhospitable to wildlife. Birdwatching was also popular as the wetlands were a major resting stop on the Pacific Flyway. In the 1950s and into the '60s, the area became a resort destination, and communities grew with hotels and vacation homes. The lake would have dried up, but farmers used generous amounts of Colorado River water and let the excess flow into the lake. The water in the formerly dry lake bed created the modern lake, which is about 15 by 35 miles (24 by 56 km).

Water from spring floods broke through a canal head-gate diverting a portion of the river flow into the Salton Basin for two years before repairs were completed.

#WEATHER UP DATE FOR SALINE LA SERIES#

The headgates and canals sustained a buildup of silt, so a series of cuts were made in the bank of the Colorado River to further increase the water flow. Beginning in 1900, an irrigation canal was dug from the Colorado River to the old Alamo River channel to provide water to the Imperial Valley for farming. The current lake was formed from an inflow of water from the Colorado River in 1905. Hundreds of archaeological sites have been found in this region, indicating possibly long-term Native American villages and temporary camps. When the river diverts around the valley, the lake dries completely, as it did around 1580. When the Colorado River flows into the valley, the lake level depends on river flows and the balance between inflow and evaporative loss. For thousands of years, the river has alternately flowed into the valley, or diverted around it, creating either a saline lake called Lake Cahuilla, or a dry desert basin, respectively. Over millions of years, the Colorado River has flowed into the Imperial Valley and deposited alluvium (soil), creating fertile farmland, building up the terrain, and constantly moving its main course and river delta. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the Salton Trough that stretches to the Gulf of California in Mexico.

The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline body of water in Riverside and Imperial counties at the southern end of the U.S.

Weather up date for saline la