Salton
Sea 101
By Steve Horvitz
Superintendent, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
It's
the Salt!
Or
is it Nutrient Loading?
Oxygen!
Algae - the
Good, the Bad and the Ugly
How
Many Fish are Too Many Fish?
What
Smell?
Water,
Water Everywhere . . . but not for long . . .
Debunking
the Myths
A
final Word
How Can You
Help
Top of Page
It's
the Salt!
There exists discussion as
to which is the most pressing problem facing the Salton Sea. Some will
argue that its ever-increasing salt content threatens the existence of the
systems within the Sea and they’re right; some will offer it’s the
escalating nutrient load that will be its demise and that’s correct too.
Both scenarios hold serious ills for this lake. Left unaddressed the
Sea, as we understand it now, will no longer exist.
For no other reason than
“Salt” is in the name, we’ll start our discussion here: how did the
salt get into the Salton Sea?
When the Sea was created in
1905 its water came direct from the Colorado River. Almost the entire flow
of the river ran unchecked into the Salton Sink for about a year and a
half. When finally the engineers of the day were able to stop the flow of
water they were left with a huge, relatively fresh water lake in the
middle of Southern California’s desert.
While the lake at that time
was considered fresh it did contain a fair amount of salt as the river
itself is on the salty side. Water entered the Sea from the southern most
portion of the river — this water had already traveled hundreds, perhaps
thousands of miles before being deposited in the Salton Sink. As water
passed through the river it picked up salt and brought it to the Sea.
In addition salt that was in the soil prior to the Salton Sea
“re-dissolved” into the water further increasing the Sea’s salt
level. While the lake was a little salty after its creation, it certainly
had nowhere near the amount of dissolved salt that we struggle with today.
During the past 94 years the
Sea has become saltier to the degree that many scientists, politicians and
land managers are concerned for its stability. Why does it continue to
become saltier?
Because the water in the
Salton Sea comes from the Colorado River.
Beginning in Northern
Colorado and flowing some 1450 miles, the Colorado River accumulates salts
as it flows toward Imperial and Coachella Valley. River water is used to
irrigate crops in the valleys; Colorado River water is salty. It travels
from the river, is used for irrigation, picks up more salt as it travels
through the soil, and eventually drains into the Salton Sea. Because the
Salton Sea has no outlet the salt remains in the lake continuing to
increase year after year. About six feet of water evaporates from the Sea
annually; that’s around 1.3 million-acre feet. Contrariwise, about six
feet of water flows into the sea each year, so its level stays pretty much
the same. Being in the desert, come summer with our (up to) 128 degrees,
water evaporates very fast. As it does, it leaves the salt behind.
Simply put, water comes in carrying salt, the water evaporates and the
salt stays. About 4 million tons of salt enters the Sea in this manner
each year.
You can try experimenting
with this at your home by adding water and salt to a pan, leave it outside
until it evaporates and see the salt that’s left. Add more water and
salt; let it sit, and even more salt will remain. That’s what
happens in the Sea. Left unchecked the salt levels will increase to the
point that the present systems will no longer be able to exist. This
process is natural — and it would be very difficult to stop. Again,
every year the Sea receives an average of 4 million tons more salt — and
the salt stays.
Currently the level of
dissolved salt in the Sea is around 43 parts per thousand. The Pacific
Ocean is around 35 ppt. We expect that as the level of salt in the Sea
approaches 45 ppt some of the fish will stop reproducing and by the time
that it reaches 60 ppt most of the sport fish will have disappeared from
the Sea. Our barnacles, by the way, should survive up to 60 ppt —
not that that’s a comfort, just interesting.
So what’s the concern? Why
not simply let this natural process continue? Some argue just that — let
the Sea become saltier, after all it is the natural course of the lake.
The problem is that as the Sea becomes saltier it will eventually no
longer support the fish that are in it. You will often hear that the Sea
will “die” in 12 to 15 years. This isn’t accurate; the Sea will not
“die” from excessive salt. Rather, the fish will no longer be able to
reproduce successfully, and their species will “evolve” out of the
Sea. The eggs (and larval) stages of the fish are likely to be less
salt tolerant than the adults, so they will be the first effected.
Without successful reproduction the species will eventually no longer
exist in the Sea.
What’s the loss of a few
(millions of) fish? They aren’t significant in the sense that
they’re a protected species — the species in the Sea are very common
worldwide. It’s not so much the loss of the fish that worries us
— of course it’s a shame to see any animal suffer. But from a
biological standpoint there would be no threat to these species (globally)
if they no longer existed in the Sea. Rather the problem is that hundreds
of thousands of birds depend upon the fish for food. Three hundred eighty
species of birds have been counted at the Sea. This is close to half of
the total species known to exist in the United States. Imagine that.
Almost half of the species of birds that exist in our country have been
seen at the Sea!
During the winter migration
period if one could count all the birds that use the Sea each day a figure
of two to three million has been estimated to be the total. Millions of
individual birds use the Sea each winter day! There’s more bird and
wildlife diversity here than any other place in California, maybe the
nation. If the birds no longer found the high level of food that currently
exists at the Sea, available nutrition for their reproductive needs would
decrease; stresses would increase. Mortality among juveniles would rise
and adult fish-eating birds would be forced to find and use other habitat.
Why does this matter?
Because there is nowhere
else for them to go.
And here we hit the heart of
the efforts behind the reason to stabilize the Sea’s salt level.
We have consumed our
wetlands throughout Southern California. Our coastal riparian areas now
host our buildings and roads; the Colorado River is mostly channelized and
homes lace its shore. We have done very well at building homes and
infrastructure for us — not so well at preserving a part of nature that
is so important for all of us. If the Sea can no longer support the bird
population because there are no fish, because the salt has increased to
the point that they don’t reproduce, many of the birds that use this
lake will no longer be able to survive here.
That’s why so many are
struggling with the concept of trying to reduce the level of salt in the
Salton Sea. Many believe salt is the most important factor affecting the
survivability of the fish, and birds in this lake. And it is this that
governmental entities such as the Salton Sea Authority and Bureau of
Reclamation are struggling to address.
We are very close to the
point where the salt will reduce the population of the fish. As I said
some predict that within 12 years the Sea will be so salty that its
biological systems will fail.
Photo: S. Horvitz, June 1998
Mecca Beach Campground, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
Top of Page
Or
is it Nutrient Loading?
So we know that the Salton
Sea is salty, and, left unchecked, the salt will increase to the point
where fish reproduction will cease and their populations will be
eliminated.
Are there other problems?
Yes! Several!
The Salton Sea is an
agricultural sump, meaning that water from agriculture drains into it.
Besides being salty the water brings other “qualities” that aren’t
necessarily friendly to the systems of the Sea.
On one hand, it’s
agriculture that supports/maintains the Salton Sea. Without the
water that’s used for crops draining into the Sea, after 96 years of
evaporating in extreme summer heat, the Sea most likely would not exist
today. So “ag” water is essential to keep the Sea alive.
But it’s a double-edged sword— with the water comes salt, excessive
nutrients, and some other “uglies.”
Fertilizers are used to
promote growth on farmland. They make their way into the
Salton Sea with the drain water. The fertilizers do not directly harm the
systems of the Sea, but they do add to its nutrient load, which has some
“unpleasant” side effects.
Causing even more problems
are the municipal wastewaters that drain into the Sea from the towns and
cities in the watershed. As the human population increases, disposal
of waste becomes a greater problem. Most human waste travels to
treatment plants that are effective in rendering it safe. However,
phosphates from this waste makes their way into the Sea. You add
phosphate to your lawn to encourage growth. Phosphates added to the
Sea cause plant life to bloom. Please don’t get the impression
that “raw sewage” flows into the Sea, it doesn’t; the phosphates do.
The Salton Sea is so
nutrient-rich because of these “fertilizers” that great portions of
the lake will experience algal blooms. The Sea turns green, or brown and
sometimes small portions even show a reddish color when algal species
bloom. I’ve seen the Sea turn bright green in a matter of hours as
the plant life bursts into action, spurred on as the result of the
nutrients in the Sea. When this happens, you better hang on to your
hat, or run for the hills. Because the alga will bloom and quickly
die. When they die they pull oxygen from the water of the Sea.
So much so that more often than not, not enough oxygen remains to sustain
the fish and large-scale fish die-offs will follow within a day or so.
We know from our tests that
the oxygen profiles of the Sea during these periods are very dramatic.
Sometimes only the first inch or so of water has oxygen in it. Often
below a meter or two we find no dissolved oxygen. So we see the fish
at the surface of the lake gulping for “air.”
The introduction of external
nitrates and phosphates isn’t the only event to blame for excessive
nutrients in the Sea. The great abundance of natural life in the Sea
causes its own waste. Life makes waste, all the fish, birds, and
plants will eventually die. When they do, their nutrient load is
made available to others in the Sea. In this manner nutrients are
“recycled”, life dies, becomes food for more life that dies, becomes
food, dies, becomes food, dies, food . . .
There are so many fish here
that when I take a boat upon the Sea often I see fish jumping out of the
way. During the spring, fishers catch fish every few seconds from
the Salton Sea. One recent Saturday I counted a group of fishers
taking tilapia on the average of one every 17 seconds, per person, from
the Jetty. I know, you’ve most likely heard different, that the
Sea is void of life. Not so — there is so much life here that it
encumbers its systems.
Perhaps it will help if you
picture a ten-gallon fish tank sitting in your home. You have ten
fish in it, a few plants, you circulate the water, add oxygen and food —
life is good. Add forty more fish, stop circulating the water, throw
in several cans worth of fish food, warm the water real nice and what do
you expect will happen? You’re right: system collapse.
As the Salton Sea’s
nutrient level increases life becomes more difficult. Eventually its
systems will fail due to this over abundance of life.
I wrote that a discussion
exists between those who think the salt level of the Sea will cause its
failure first, and those who offer its high nutrient loads as the highest
priority. There was a time when I fell on the side of salt and
championed this as the immediate problem facing the Salton Sea.
Recently, I’ve come to believe that while salt is a serious and known
threat, it is in fact the Sea’s nutrient load that will cause a system
collapse before salt.
And when this happens it
will be particularly nasty!
Since I’ve been at the Sea
I’ve seen the fishery come back with abundance. I’ve also noted
recently that we are experiencing a greater number of fish die offs, and
that the die offs seem to occur all the time in one form or another.
There has also been an increased bird mortality level. I believe
that the system will experience a catastrophic event within a matter of
several years due in part to the excessive nutrient load. When it
does, fish will die outright. They will not simply stop reproducing,
as in the case of high salt levels. They will die by the millions,
float to the surface and wash ashore. This is beginning to happen as
we have more algal blooms that cause localized ecosystem collapses.
These “local” events seem to get bigger year by year. I think we
will see “the big one” happen pretty soon.
Both the salt and nutrient
load problems are very serious. Both must be addressed.
Failing to reduce the Sea’s nutrient level but reducing its salt load
may only give us a less salty lake that fish and birds die in.
Reducing the nutrient level and not addressing the salt will give us a
lake facing a system devoid of fish, and then fish eating-birds. This will
probably have a devastating affect on the migrating bird populations in
the western states. Both issues have to be addressed for a healthy
Sea.
Photo: S. Horvitz, June,
1998
Varner Harbor, Headquarters Area, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
Top of Page
Oxygen!
Oxygen? “We don’t
need no stinking oxygen!”
Oh yes we do! And we need
lots more than we got!
Remember the Salton Sea is
salty, it gets very warm, 90 plus degrees in the summer and the Sea is
full of nutrients and life.
It is more difficult for
water to hold oxygen in warmer water than in cooler water, and it is more
difficult for water to hold oxygen in salt water than in fresh water.
Most of the life that is in the Sea consumes oxygen; fish respire it, and
the vegetation “burns” it when they die and rot.
We learned in the last
segment that the Sea is so nutrient-rich that it supports tremendous algal
populations. As I said, you can actually see algal blooms grow,
becoming larger by the hour. This alga will die almost as quickly as
it grows. When it does it will rot. Oxygen is pulled from the water
of the Sea to help the algae decay; respiration by bacteria and fungi
during the decomposition process pulls oxygen from the water. When
this happens during late summer at the time that the Sea is at its warmest
(90 degrees and more!) there is little dissolved oxygen in the water to
begin with, the algae use much of what exists — leaving very little for
the fish.
We test the oxygen profile
of the water column in the Salton Sea. Sometimes only the first inch
below the surface has usable oxygen. During the worst conditions if
we test a meter and a half further down we find no oxygen.
Typically, these conditions occur after a heavy wind. Wind will in
effect “stir” the Sea, causing its nutrient load to move toward the
surface, effectively “fertilizing” the alga that exists there, causing
them to bloom, then decay and pull oxygen out of the water.
Shortly after these events
we notice that fish come to the surface and “gulp” for oxygen.
Generally there is not enough oxygen in the water to sustain them and many
will die. This is a very common effect at the Salton Sea.
Massive fish die offs as a result of low oxygen have been occurring for
many years. The cycle gets worse when the fish die because the
fact that they will rot in the water causes even more oxygen to be used,
more fish die, more oxygen is used, and you get the picture!
If we are able to reduce the
salt level of the Sea and, more importantly, if we reduce the nutrient
level within the water, and by doing so reduce or eliminate the algal
blooms, our fish will be much more comfortable!
The Salton Sea’s oxygen
profile is so dramatic that it changes by the hour. During the
summer if you test the water for oxygen just before sunrise you will find
just trace amounts and see lots of gulping fish. If you test in the
late afternoon you’ll find the first inch or so to be super-saturated
with oxygen, more than in the atmosphere and the fish are happy.
What happens? During the day the plant life makes oxygen through the
photosynthetic process. After sunset oxygen is lost to respiration
and putrefaction.
The effect that reduced
oxygen has upon the fish in the Sea is even more dramatic when one factors
in a particular species of alga that tends to retard oxygen exchange
within the fish’s body, and when you understand that gill structures of
the fish are often coated with parasites. More on this in the next
session! Until then, if you’re a fish and you want to make the
Salton Sea your home — bring your own oxygen! B.Y.O.O!
Top of Page
Alga -
the good, the bad and the ugly!
Talk about an interesting
and newly-developing research subject! We are beginning to
understand the importance that individual alga species may have on the
systems of the Salton Sea.
This aspect of the Sea’s
troubled systems is the most cumbersome for me to discuss because it is a
topic that hasn’t been researched in great depth. But there are a
few things that I may be able to shed some light on. There have been
some very interesting findings made by San Diego State University recently
that we’ll talk about.
Algal species are very
active in the Salton Sea, in great part due to the Sea’s high nutrient
content. Because of this, it makes it a wonderful place for plant
life to flourish. We keep “dumping” loads of “fertilizers”
into the lake, causing algae to grow and bloom at an ever-increasing rate.
But put that thought on hold
for a second. Before we get to the science we’ll talk fishing! The
old timers that fished the Sea during the 50’s and 60’s would always
say if you want to catch fish “fish the brown water.” Brown water
means fish, and the water is brown due to algae. This type of algae
seems to add oxygen to the water, it doesn’t bloom real fast, and more
importantly it doesn’t die off en masse causing the oxygen of the Sea to
deplete. Tilapia are often found at the lower levels of the brown
algae, and below the tilapia one is very likely to find the corvina.
Tilapia feed on the algae, and the corvina feed on the tilapia. So
if you want to fish the Salton Sea look for a deep rich chocolate water
color, and have at it.
I know! Brown water!
Yuck! No . . . it’s just algae, nothing more.
Green water on the other
hand deserves the yuck! The alga that tends to turn the water a
green color are the ones that give us trouble, often cause fish die offs,
and produce a unpleasant odor. These species bloom with abundance
during the right times of the year and proper conditions. These
species die quickly taking with them the oxygen and causing the fish to
struggle. Fishing is generally poor during periods of green algal
blooms.
Remember: Brown: Good
. . . Green: Bad! At least for fishing.
We don’t know much about
the individual species of algae in the Sea but we do believe that there is
at least one kind that causes fish to die. Thanks to the tireless
efforts of researchers from San Diego State University, we have some
insight as to the limnology of the Sea. We have a better
understanding of what happens here.
SDSU recently went public
with the discovery of Chattonella subsalsa, an ichthyotoxic alga — it
can be toxic to fish. It has been found in plankton samples from the
Sea in high density. Chattonella becomes abundant in the Sea when
the water temperatures reach around 75 degrees. It’s possible that
the species needs this temperature for vegetative growth and “excystment.”
During cooler periods the algae may “encyst” and “live” in the
sediments of the Sea’s bed.
Interesting! And it
gets better!
Scanning electron microscopy
performed on tilapia gills shows the presence of “swollen tips of
filaments” and “fused second lamellae.” Tilapia observed
during this time appeared to be “gulping” for oxygen at the water
surface. When Chattonella blooms are dense enough, and the
fish have accumulated them in high numbers in their gill structures the
toxin that they release retards the transfer of oxygen in the fish’s
blood.
So, getting back to oxygen,
nutrients, and salt . . . the sea is a warm salty body of water; oxygen
dissolves less easily in warm and salty water. The Sea is highly
nutrient-rich and makes a great place for algae to live. Chattonella
is a type of algae that produces a toxin that restricts the fish’s
ability to exchange oxygen. During the summer, when we have hot
water and algal blooms the fish have very little oxygen to respire to
begin with and they are affected by toxic algae which makes it even more
difficult for them to “breathe” . . . and we wonder why we see
ever increasing fish mortality events here?
If we allow the Sea to
remain salty, if we allow its nutrient levels to increase we will see
these events happen with greater frequency every year.
Isn’t it interesting how everything is linked together? It
makes it easy to see just how complex a system this is, and just how
difficult it will be to set it right.
You’ll see algae come up
again in our discussion when we get to “the smell” section.
Until then please remember that the colors that you see in the Sea come
from different species of algae. Often clumps of algae will break
off the bottom of the Sea and float to the surface. This is
particularly common during late summer. People will visit the
Sea during the summer when the algae is blooming and assume that the
chocolate color is something nasty and the “clumps” are worse . . . it
isn’t, it’s just algae
. . . the good the bad and
the ugly . . .
Photo: S. Horvitz, June,
1998
Mecca Beach Campground, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
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How
Many Fish are Too Many Fish?
We don’t know . . . but we
do know that the Salton Sea is full of fish!!
There are four sport fish in
the Salton Sea. Corvina (Cynoscion xanthulus) are the largest and most
popular. The largest reported corvina taken from the Sea was in the mid
‘80’s and weighed in at 37 pounds. It was estimated that this fish was
30 years old. Corvina are commonly caught in excess of 20 pounds.
A 32 pound corvina was caught in midsummer of 1998. Gulf Croaker (Bairdiella
icistius) are a smallish fish that range from half a pound up to a
rare three pounds. Croaker come from the Gulf of California and were
planted in the Sea in an attempt to offer a unique sport fish. Their
populations have suffered recently, perhaps due to high salt levels; heavy
winter rain in the 1994/5 season caused the Sea’s salt content to drop
and a population rebound was seen for this fish. Croaker are a main
forage fish for the corvina. Sargo (Anisotremus davidsoni) also from
the Gulf of California, range from one half to three pounds. In
1951, 65 sargo were planted in the Sea and quickly populated this large
lake. For many years they were the most popular and most abundant
fish caught. Recently, though, their population has declined
(presumably due to the Sea’s high salt content) and now while we do
receive reports of some limits of sargo being taken, they are not often
caught. Finally tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) come from East
Africa. The manner that they were introduced into the Salton Sea is
unclear. Some claim that tilapia “escaped” from private fish
farms and entered the Sea; some say the tilapia that were placed in the
irrigation canals to clear vegetation found their way into the Sea.
Those that may share accountability for the tilapia population here are
quick to deny any responsibility to the species being in the Sea.
The frequency that tilapia die due to low oxygen, and cold water, cause
some unpleasant “sensory perception” events. Tilapia range from tiny,
to up to four pounds and reproduce at a stunning rate.
So tilapia, corvina, sargo
and croaker are the four main sport fish. Additionally a few other species
still exist in the Sea. Very rarely a type of a stripped bass is caught on
the south side of the Sea, and three years ago two mullet were taken and a
shad was recently netted. Desert Pupfish, an endangered species, are
found in some of the rivers that drain into the Sea, and there are a few
mollies and mudsuckers still around.
Let’s take a look at the
difficulties that tilapia have in this resource, they are a most
interesting fish. They love warm water, but can’t survive in
temperatures less than 55 degrees. Occasionally the water
temperature of the Sea will dip below 55 for several days (during
unusually cold periods — that seem to happen every 5 - 10 years) and
many thousands (maybe millions) of tilapia will die. This species is
caught for sport in abundance during the summer. It’s almost as
easy as backing your truck up to the shoreline and lowering your tailgate
— it’s as if they jump right in. Fishers fish for a day and
leave with over 100 tilapia. There is no legal limit to the number
of tilapia that you can catch, nor any size limit.
Varner Harbor, which is by
the Recreation Area’s headquarters, is a breeding ground for tilapia.
From late February through July tilapia come into the harbor to spawn.
When they do there are so many small fry that the water is alive and
sparkling with their silver sides that catch and reflect the sunlight.
If you happen to startle the fish you may see a ripple affect that goes
all the way across the harbor. During the summer if you boat upon
the Sea and pass through schools of tilapia you see them literally jumping
to get out of the way of the boat. Corvina feed upon the tilapia,
and when they’re feeding you’ll witness great areas of the Sea boiling
with tilapia jumping to escape the corvina. It’s common for people to
believe that the Salton Sea is dead — that it contains no fish.
This isn’t the case, it is absolutely packed full of fish.
Tilapia are often the
preferred fish for aquaculture operations throughout the world. This
is because they are very protein rich, they serve as a wonderful food
source, and they breed often and at a young age so the time frame from
small fry to usable product is very quick. The species is
extremely prolific — but also seem to be the first fish to die en masse
when oxygen or temperature conditions become extreme in the Salton Sea.
Over the last few years we
have had some terrible bird mortality events at the Sea. Hundreds of
thousands of birds were lost, and tens of thousands of pelicans died as
the result of avian botulism. We know that tilapia may at
times contract a vibrio class of bacteria. This bacterium is very
common in salt water fish; tuna and sardines in particular are often found
with vibrio. Vibrio will kill tilapia. It has a particularly
nasty manner of affecting the fish. Now, if you just ate, you may
not want to read this next passage, as fish affected with vibrio tend to
rot from the inside out while they are alive. When this occurs there
will be portions of their bodies that are void of oxygen, making good
habitat for botulism. There appear to be unique interactions occurring
between tilapia, pelicans, and fish-eating birds that results in live, but
sick tilapia having botulism toxin present in their tissues and serving as
a source for intoxication of birds that feed upon them. As the fish
struggle in their death they tend to rise to the surface of the lake.
When they do they become very attractive to fish eating birds,
specifically the pelicans.
Vibrio is passed from one
fish to the next; the more fish that are in the Sea the more chance that a
larger number of them will become affected by disease. It’s like
standing in a crowded room full of sick people — chances are that
you’ll get sick too. If we reduce the fish population, perhaps
we’ll retard the botulism outbreaks.
Some suggest that the
tilapia population must be reduced by thousands of tons of fish each year.
I suspect that if we don’t, very shortly we’ll see a system breakdown
that starts with a massive tilapia die off. There has been some
investigation into the possibility of harvesting the tilapia commercially.
Years back some proposals were made to the Department of Fish and Game.
Should a harvesting plan be implemented, it will go a long way to aiding
the Sea.
So, go get a fishing pole
and come on down — fish tacos!
You might find it
interesting that tilapia are used by many fast food restaurants in their
fish products. They make good fishmeal for animals and some biblical
scholars have told me that they believe it was the tilapia that Jesus used
to “feed the masses.”
Be that as it may . . .
there is little argument that for the long-term health of the Sea, its
fish population needs to be harvested. This should to be addressed
as we try to find a method to drop the Sea’s excessive salt and nutrient
levels. Remember my example of a ten-gallon fish tank with 40 fish
in it . . .
By the way, while we’re
talking fish . . . there was once a report of an octopus being taken from
the Sea, and my staff found a live crab in Varner Harbor just this last
summer! Really!
O.K., end of the fish
section . . . you can eat your lunch now!
Photo: S. Horvitz, June,
1998
Headquarters Main Beach, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
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"The
Smell"
Smell?! . . . What Smell?!
Several years ago I received
a phone call from a fellow that identified himself as a “lawyer from
Palm Springs.” He was very agitated over the fact that he (while
in Palm Springs) smelled an odor that he blamed on the Salton Sea.
So mad was he that he insisted that I personally do something about it or
he was going to sue me. He continued, saying that since I was the
Superintendent of the Recreation Area on the Salton Sea, it was my
responsibility to ensure that any offensive odors not interfere with his
life-style in Palm Springs. I explained that I didn’t quite have
the ability to do as he asked. He ended the conversation with the
warning that I could expect to be served.
. . . Of course, the summons
never came.
. . . I was disappointed.
Then there was the time when
the Fire Chief from Lake Havasu called our office and complained about the
smell that was coming from the Salton Sea and settling on Lake Havasu.
Lake Havasu? I don’t think so! Not that far away.
However, there are times when we can very much get the attention of our
neighbors!
What causes the smell at the
Salton Sea?
You recall that algal blooms
are driven by the Sea’s high
nutrient loads and occur when winds (or a collapsing temperature
inversion) bring nutrients to the surface of the water. Algal blooms
commence very fast and with great vigor but quickly ebb and the alga dies.
Microorganisms move in to “digest” the alga consuming oxygen and
emitting a sulfur smelling gas! It’s these massive algal blooms that
trigger the smell — it is the gasses produced by the decomposing bloom
that you notice.
While these events happen
rather frequently at the Sea during late summer and early spring, more
often than not the Sea has a normal bio-smell. As the ocean
has an odor of decaying vegetation, the Sea does too. As lakes smell
when they turn over, so does the Sea. The Salton Sea is not bottled
water quality; it will always have the smell of life. And this does
not represent a negative biological event.
However, the odor that comes
from massive algal blooms does signal a system that is in trouble just by
the size of these events. We already understand that we can greatly
reduce these algal blooms, subsequent fish die offs, and sulfur odor by
drawing down the Sea’s nutrient load and to a degree by reducing its
salt content. You’ll remember that I wrote that salt and nutrients
are the major biological problems facing the Sea. Address these and
we go a long way to creating a system that will be much healthier for a
long time — and smell better too!
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Water,
water, everywhere . . . but not for long
The preceding sections
describe some of the problems facing the Salton Sea and suggest a degree
of urgency for us to get off the mark and do something. While a
number of challenging biological problems do exist, there’s
another, maybe more pressing issue that if allowed to continue
unmitigated, will render this important resource useless for wildlife and
recreation.
It’s not often discussed.
Some time ago I was at the
Recreation Area giving a presentation about the Salton Sea to a group of
water consumers; water agencies and districts. When the presentation
was finished, all the questions asked and almost everyone was on the bus,
a fellow came to me who represented a large Southern California water
District and he told me:
“You know 1.3 million
acre-feet of water flow into the Sea each year.”
I agreed.
“That water is worth a
great deal of money to us.”
I said yes, I understand the
value of water in the state of California.
He said: “It’s a waste
to allow this water to flow into the Sea . . . we want it . . . we’re
going to get it . . . and there’s nothing that you can do to stop us.”
I remembered his words
exactly; these are direct quotes.
The problem is, he may be
right.
As I write this, there
exists a number of claims for water that flows into the Salton Sea from
three Southern California water districts. If these requests for
water rights are granted, a total of 575,000 acre feet of water will be
diverted from the Sea for other uses. Additionally 200,000 acre-feet
of water has been approved for transfer by the California State Water
Resources Control Board from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu for San
Diego. This water belongs to the Imperial Irrigation District. They
intend to sell it to San Diego. Much of this 200,000 acre-feet of water
would otherwise have found its way into the Salton Sea.
I mentioned that around 1.3
million-acre feet of water flows into the Sea each year. While the
water carries salt and nutrients, which cause problems, the water is
essential for the survival of the Sea. If 575,000 acre feet
(annually) of water is removed from the Sea the salinity and nutrient
loading problems will be aggravated, hastening the collapse of essential
biological systems unless methods for intervention are quickly initiated.
It’s interesting that
there is very little mention of this in the media, or discussion about
these water transfers and claims by environmental groups. It’s as
if we’ve turned a blind eye to the damage this will cause the Salton
Sea. Understand the effect these water transfers may have on the Sea
— and be afraid for this system.
It was the cry for water in
Imperial Valley that caused the creation of the Salton Sea. It is
the need for water in Southern California cities that may very well cause
its demise.
California draws water from
the Colorado River. We use more than our allotment by about one
million-acre feet each year. The State is being held to stay within
the allowed 4.4 million af by the Interior Department. The State
needs to look for a way to utilize other water in Southern California, or
to conserve. And . . . as 1.3 million af of water flow into the Sea,
several water districts have targeted this water as a method to solve the
shortage.
Owens Valley was faced with
this problem many years ago — their water was taken — their lakes
dried — and dust blows.
I hope we are able to
address this before it’s too late — but sadly the fellow from the
water agency that told me “you can’t stop us” may very well be
right. Water politics is very strong in California. It is this
that has driven much of what’s happened in the state, and here at the
Sea.
Photo: S. Horvitz, November
1997
Varner Harbor, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
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Debunking
the myths!
The Salton Sea has too much
salt, it is excessively rich in nutrients, at times not enough oxygen
exists in the water, algae is not always our friend, “what smell?” and
. . . we’re running out of water. These are all difficulties that
this valuable resource faces.
No doubt you’ve heard of
other problems with the Salton Sea but much of what has been presented is
inaccurate — a product of one-dimensional reporting and some reporters,
politicians and governmental offices sensationalizing the effects at the
Sea.
This section will
“debunk” some of those myths!
Myth 1:
Pollution from Mexico enters the Salton Sea
That the New River polluting
the Salton Sea is something that you have probably heard. Actually,
the water carried by the New River doesn’t appear to be a major factor
for the Sea’s difficulties. Yes, the New River is polluted.
Yes, biological and industrial waste flows into it in Mexico. Yet
only 30 percent of the water in the New River comes from Mexicali, and
most of that is agricultural discharge. By the time the water
crosses the border and travels the 67 miles to the Salton Sea its quality
is similar to that of the Alamo River. Waste from Mexico is treated
naturally in the river and is diluted by agricultural drain water from
Imperial Valley.
Myth 2: The problem is
pesticides from agriculture
The State Water Resources
Control Board tests water in the Salton Sea twice a year. Pesticides
at any significant level are not found in the Sea.
The greater problem from
agriculture is the fertilizers.
Myth 3: Selenium exists in
the water of the Salton Sea at harmful levels
It does not. While
selenium is a concern (it is a naturally occurring element that is in
Colorado River water) it is not found in great amounts in the water of the
Sea. There are uncomfortably high levels of selenium in the soil
that make up the lake bed of the Sea, and the selenium level in some bird
flesh is of concern. A human health advisory exists on consuming too
much fish from the Sea due to selenium. Selenium will have to be tracked
at this resource, but for now it does not rate number one on the list.
Myth 4: The Sea is an
insignificant ecological resource
The sea is extremely
important to the birds that use the Pacific Flyway. Its wetlands
provide habitat to millions of birds. Several endangered species are
known to make the Sea their home including the Brown Pelican and Yuma
Clapper Rail. The environmental resources at the Sea are among the
most diverse and important in the state.
Myth 5: The Sea is an
insignificant economic resource
The Salton Sea has the
potential to be a major local and regional economic player. Once
most people have an understanding of the quality of the Salton Sea there
is little argument that a stabilized lake will have tremendous positive
impact upon the region. A recent University of Redlands study
suggests that over 300 million dollars can be generated at the Salton Sea
each year. More recent studies suggest a positive economic boost
into the billions with a “saved Sea.”
The potential for negative
impact is just as great. Imagine a failed, smelly and ruined 380
square-mile lake that rests just 20 miles from some of the richest
communities in California. Billions of dollars may be lost with a
failed Sea in the neighborhood.
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A
Problem of Image!
For over thirty years
we’ve struggled with the problems of the Salton Sea. As we’ve
tried to address the lake’s needs and bring attention to its plight,
some have taken the tack that the best way to raise concern and support
for the Salton Sea is to present it in the worst possible light — even
exaggerating its problems.
Early in the summer of 1998
I attended a field session for congressional testimony about the Salton
Sea. At the conclusion of the meeting I was asked by CNN to give a
quick interview. As I waited my turn in front of the camera I
watched as a well-known and respected Congressman spoke to the camera,
answering a reporter’s questions.
The Congressman announced
that the Sea had to be saved because it was so polluted, and contaminated
that no one uses it any more. “No one would want to because it’s
so bad there — there are signs posted telling people to stay out of the
water.” I was amazed to hear him speak like this about the Salton
Sea because I know that many, many people use, boat upon, swim in, and
fish the Sea. In fact, visitation is increasing; the Salton Sea
State Recreation Area had 250,000 people visit during the 1997/8 fiscal
year. This is the highest level in the last 12 years. I also
know that it’s beautiful at the Salton Sea and its beauty draws many
people to its shore.
Later in the week I called
the Congressman’s office and asked him why he described the Sea as he
did. I told him that our visitation is up, the Sea is not closed to
contact, and it is a pleasant place. He agreed, saying, “Yes, I
know.” I said, then what you’re telling people is wrong. He
said, “Yes, it is.” I appreciated his candor, but I was amazed
that he was so frank in his admission that he mislead CNN’s viewers.
I asked him why he made these statements. He said that it is his
belief, and that of many of his fellows in Congress and the Senate that in
order to solve the problems of the Salton Sea, it must be presented in the
worst possible light. In other words, the worse people think it is,
the more inclined they will be to support the efforts to salvage its ill
systems.
It’s a matter of politics.
I suppose he’s correct — he’s the politician, but I took and
continue to take issue with this manner of “building support” for the
Salton Sea. This is the method we’ve used for the last thirty
years and it hasn’t worked yet. All we’ve done is to scare
people away from the Sea. We have not educated them about it.
There are some very real,
very serious biological and political problems with the Salton Sea.
We don’t have to exaggerate its ills. We think that we
can’t swim in the lake, that the water will harm us — it won’t. Many
think that we can’t catch and eat the fish — we can and do. A
survey that was taken in 1989 illustrates that more than half of the
people that used to come to the Sea don’t because they fear it in some
manner.
While this hurts the local
economy, while the towns, business people and residents around the Sea
suffer from this impression, more significantly it has caused so many to
believe that the problems of the Sea are too big to solve, or that it is
already a wasted body of water, that no life exists in it and the best
thing to do is let it dry up, or as one letter to the editor recently
suggested “use it as a landfill, it’s already a sewer.” And . . . so
many think this way after hearing thirty years of nothing but the worst;
the Sea has lost its support group, lost its “constituency.”
There is no grass roots support to push home the need to protect this
resource such as there was at Mono Lake and in Owens Valley. There
is no voice for the Salton Sea; too many think it is already a lost cause.
Some of what I’ve said in
this booklet has probably surprised you. I bet you didn’t know
that you can swim in the Sea that you can catch fish every 17
seconds on a summer day, that corvina up to 32 pounds were recently taken
from the Sea, that you can sit and watch a sunset across sparkling water
with the snow capped Santa Rosa Mountains in the distance. You
don’t often hear about these events — rather you hear the worst; it
does make good media fodder.
Don’t take to heart all
that you read in the media about the Sea, or all that you’ve heard from
politicians about its problems. Come and look for yourself. The
Salton Sea has some serious problems; it will fail if left unaddressed.
Yet with all its difficulties, there is no reason to fear it, and many
reasons to support its longevity.
And don’t be afraid to
enjoy the Salton Sea today — we, after all have the best sunsets in the
desert!
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Who's
Doing What Today
For 50 years we’ve
recognized that the Sea has a limited life expectancy. Those
concerned with the Salton Sea have tried to bring attention to its plight
and solve its problems three times over the last thirty years. The
first two attempts failed, and conditions worsened. The third
attempt has had some success.
The Salton Sea Authority a
joint powers authority with members made of the Riverside and Imperial
County Board of Supervisors and the Imperial Irrigation District and the
Coachella Valley Water District was formed in 1994 to address, and solve
the Sea’s problems. This is the first time that an entity has been
created that can enter into contracts on behalf of the Salton Sea.
The Salton Sea Authority (SSA) is recognized as the “local
representative” for the Salton Sea. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), a
governmental agency has been appointed to act as the federal entity
responsible for working with the SSA to devise a method to stabilize the
Sea.
A group of federal
legislators, calling themselves the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force
has teamed up to try to assist the SSA and the BOR with political support
and funding. Last year the Congressional Task Force, led by
Congresswoman Mary Bono was successful in placing the Salton Sea in front
of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in the form of a bill
that sought funding. Both floors voted upon and agreed to support
the efforts of the SSA and the BOR. The bill authorizes five million
dollars to be appropriated for the effort to stabilize the Sea.
While this is a good step forward the bill did not provide new money; only
the authority to spend existing money. The authorization has not
been matched by an appropriation. However, this was the first time that a
bill has been discussed and passed on behalf of this resource. From that
perspective the effort was a success. The bill originally sought
over 350 million dollars. The five million dollars that it
authorized will not be enough to “fix the problem.” But it will
help to fund the studies that are currently in place to identify the
solution to the ills of the Sea. These studies will be finished by
January 2000. At that time we hope money is available to implement
the project. If not — the Sea will continue to suffer, birds will
die, and the problem will worsen. Letters to your representatives
can make the difference. Let’s let the “voice of the Sea” be heard.
Write to your representatives and encourage them to support the efforts to
“save the Sea.”
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A
Final Word
I hope that you have found this information useful. And I hope you
take it as a first step in learning about the Salton Sea. Come to
our shore and see for yourself how impressive this resource is and imagine
how terrible it would be if we allow it to take the wrong course.
I recently read a letter to
the editor in the Los Angeles times. This was when we were having
some terrible bird mortality events and there was much discussion about
the Sea’s problems and how to correct them. During this time we
often heard how much money it will cost to set the system right. The
fellow that wrote the letter said “Shame on us for allowing the dollar
to stand in the way of fixing the Salton Sea.” As the money exists
in this country to conquer this problem. I’d add: “Shame
on us for allowing this problem to exist for so long.”
The Salton Sea is 94 years
old. In six years it will be 100. We will celebrate the
occasion of its creation in 2005.
How wonderful it will be if
we can announce at that time that a course has been charted and funded to
set the Sea right again.
How terrible if instead we
are still talking about a problem that has to be addressed.
Photo: S. Horvitz, January,
1998
Tent camping, Salton Sea State Recreation Area
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How
you can help
Write your
representatives. Many of our Legislators are lending their weight to
the effort to "save the Sea" but they need to hear that you
support their attempts. Letters to your representatives, whether
they represent California or your home state are important. A
particular need is to encourage the State of California to be more
supportive with the efforts to secure a bright future for the Salton Sea.
Letters to California's Assembly and Senate offices will be most helpful.
These are "outside links" when you're finished click your back
button to return to this frame.
U.S.
House of Representatives
Mary
Bono
U.S.
Senate
Barbara
Boxer
Dianne
Feinstein
For
the State of California
California
State Assembly
California
State Senate
Photo: S. Horvitz, December,
1996
Salton Sea-300, 300 mile jet ski race at the Salton Sea State Recreation
Area
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Steve Horvitz is the
Superintendent of the California State Parks in the southeastern portion
of the State. He has worked at the Salton Sea for the last seven years, is
educated in wildlife management, wildlife biology, and resource
conservation. Steve has been participating in efforts to secure a viable
future for the Sea for many years. You may contact him direct at shorvitz@cre8v.com
or write the Salton Sea Sector, office of the Superintendent, 100-225
State Park Road, North Shore, Ca 92254, (760) 393-3059.
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