It was an accident that turned into an oasis in the southern California desert, but before long the Salton Sea may be gone for good. And its demise might also pose health and environmental risks for residents and wildlife.
In March, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported a decision by California's state Supreme Court to uphold a 2003 water transfer deal that could spell doom for the troubled lake, the state's largest. According to the Union-Tribune, several parties have challenged the deal, citing the potential negative effects on the region's environment.
Created by a 1905 flood that spilled into the area, the Salton Sea rose to prominence as a resort town in the 1950s -- "a waterpark playground in the desert," according to a report by the BBC. But increasing salinity from agricultural irrigation soon shattered the illusion. Sport fish died, money pulled out, and abandoned resorts, now ruins, line the edge of the lake.
But despite its salinity, the lake has become an important pit stop for migrating birds. If the Salton Sea dries up, those flocks will lose one of the few waterways in southern California on their migration route, and may even become extinct, compounding the effects of recent die-offs of bird species like white pelicans and other waterbirds.