The Salton Sea is a shallow, salt, endorheic cracked lake located directly in the San Andreas Fault, especially in the California Imperial and Coachella valleys.
This lake occupies the lowest elevation of Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert at Imperial and Riverside Counties in Southern California. Its surface is 236.0Ã, ft (71.9 m) below sea level in January 2018. The deepest point of the ocean is 5Ã, ft (1.5 m) higher than the lowest point of Death Valley. The seas are fed by the New, Arung and Alamo rivers, as well as agricultural runoff, drainage systems, and tributaries.
For millions of years, the Colorado River has flowed into the Empire Valley and kept the land (creating fertile farmland), building up the plains and constantly changing the direction of the river. For thousands of years, rivers have streamed in and out of the valley alternately, creating freshwater lakes, more salty lakes, and dry desert basins, depending on the river flow and the balance between inrush and evaporative loss. The charging cycle has been around every 400-500 years and recurs many times. The latest natural cycle takes place around 1600-1700 as remembered by Native Americans who spoke with the first European settlers. Fishing traps still exist in many locations, and Native Americans turn traps depended on cycles.
The most recent water stream from the Colorado River is now accidentally controlled by engineers from the California Development Company in 1905. In an effort to increase the flow of water into the area for agriculture, irrigation channels were dug from the Colorado River into the valley. The canals are sludge buildup, so the pieces are made on the banks of the Colorado River to further increase the flow of water. The resulting stream flooded the engineering channel, and the river flowed into Salton Basin for two years, filling the bottom of a historic dry lake and creating modern sea, before the repairs were completed.
While it varies in dimensions and areas with fluctuations in agricultural runoff and rainfall, the Salton Sea is about 15 miles (24 km) by 35 miles (56 km). With an estimated surface area of ​​343 square miles (890 km 2 ) or 350 square miles (910 km 2 ), the Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. The average annual inflows are less than 1,200,000 feet (1.5 km 3 ), sufficient to maintain a maximum depth of 43 feet (13 m) and a total volume of about 6,000,000 feet (7, 4 m) Ã, km 3 ). However, due to changes in the agreed water distribution for the Colorado River under the 2003 Quantity Settlement Agreement, overall sea level is expected to decrease significantly between 2013 and 2021.
Salinity of lakes, around 56 grams per liter (9.0 oz/gal?), Greater than Pacific Ocean waters (35 g/l (5,6 oz/impc gal)), but less than that of the Great Salt Lake ranging from 50 to 270 g/l (8.0 to 43.3 oz/impc gal)). Recently, concentrations have increased at around 3% per year. About 4,000,000 short tons (3.6 ÃÆ' - 10 9 kg) are stored in the valley every year.
Video Salton Sea
Histori Edit
The area was once part of a vast inland sea that covered a vast area of ​​Southern California. Geologists estimate that for three million years, at least for many years of the Pleistocene glacial period, a large delta was deposited by the Colorado River in the southern part of the Empire Valley. Finally, the delta reaches the west coast of California Bay, creating a barrier that separates the Salton Sea area from the northern part of the Gulf. If it were not for this barrier, the entire Salton Sink along with the Empire Valley would be submerged as the Bay would extend to the north like the Indio.
Not including the oceans, the Salton Basin has for centuries been transformed into a freshwater lake, an increasingly salty endorheat lake, and a dry desert basin, depending on the river flow and the balance between inrush and evaporative loss. A lake only exists at that time filled by rivers and rain, repeated cycles many times over hundreds of thousands of years, probably cycling every 400 to 500 years.
Evidence that the basin is occupied periodically by several lakes includes the cut-wave coastline at various altitudes that are preserved on the hillside on the eastern and western sides of the present lake, the Salton Sea. This shows that the basin was intermittently intermixed a few years ago. The last Pleistocene lake that occupies the basin is Lake Cahuilla, also periodically identified on older maps as Lake LeConte or Sea Blake, after American professor and geologist William Phipps Blake.
Throughout the period of California history, this area is referred to as the "Colorado Desert" after the Colorado River. In a rail survey completed in 1855, it was called "The Valley of the Ancient Lake". On some older maps of the Library of Congress, the "Valley of Cahuilla" has been found (after indigenous Native Americans) and "Cabazon Valley" (after the indigenous American chief - Cabazon Chief). "Salt Creek" first appeared on the map in 1867 and "Salton Station" was on a train map from 1900, though this place had existed as a rail stop since the late 1870s. Until the arrival of the modern sea, Salton Sink is a major salt mining operation.
History during the 1900s Edit
In 1900, the California Development Company started construction of an irrigation canal to divert water from the Colorado River to Salton Sink, a dry lake bed. After the construction of this irrigation channel, Salton Sink became fertile for a while, allowing farmers to grow crops.
Within two years, the Imperial Canal became filled with mud from the Colorado River. Engineers trying to reduce the blockage did not work. In 1905, heavy rain and snow melt caused the Colorado River to swell, defeating a set of head gates to the Alamo Canal. The resulting flood flows into the canal, through the Imperial Valley dike, and runs down two previous dry arroyos: New River in the west, and the Alamo River in the east, each about 60 mi (97 km). For about two years, these two newly created rivers sporadically brought the entire volume of the Colorado River to Salton Sink.
The South Pacific Railroad tried to stop the flood by dumping the soil into the canal area, but the effort was not fast enough, and the river eroded deeper and deeper into the desert desert in the Empire Valley. Large waterfalls formed as a result and began to cut rapidly upstream along the Alamo Canal that is now occupied by Colorado. The waterfall was originally as high as 15 feet (4.6 m), but grew to 80 feet (24 m) tall before the flow through the traps was stopped. Initially, it is feared that the waterfall will recede upstream to the true Colorado mainline, which is up to 100 to 300 feet (30 to 91 m) tall, at which point it is practically impossible to fix the problem.
When the basin is filled, the town of Salton, a South Pacific base, and the land of Torres-Martinez Native Americans are submerged. Sudden entry of water and lack of drainage from the basin resulted in the formation of Salton Sea.
The US Navy conducted an initial inspection of the Salton Sea in January 1940, and the Salton Sea Test Base (SSTB, run by Sandia Labs) was originally commissioned as Salton Sea Naval Auxiliary Air Station, in October 1942. SSTB, Salton, originally served as the operational base and training for amphibious aircraft. Additional activities at the base include experimental testing of rockets launched by solid-fueled aircraft, takeoff trials, aero-ballistic testing of inert weapons test units in terrestrial and marine targets, training bombs on marine targets, trials of long-term storage effects on weapons atoms, Mercury Mercury Project landing parachute landing systems, parachute training and testing, and military training. The base was abandoned in 1978.
The continuous flood from the Valley of the Empire from the Colorado River led to the idea of ​​the need for a dam on the Colorado River for flood control.
Next evolution Edit
The Salton Sea has some success as a resort area, with Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, and Desert Beach, on the west coast and Desert Beach, North Coast and Bombay Beach, built on the east coast in the 1950s. However, many settlements are substantially shrinking in size, or have been abandoned, largely due to increased salinity and lake pollution over the years from agricultural runoff and other sources. Many marine fish species have been killed by combinations of pollutants, salt levels, and algal blooms. Dead fish have been known to wash in bulk quantities on the beach. The smell of the lake, combined with the smell of rotting fish, also contributes to the decline of the tourism industry around the Salton Sea. Many people now visit the Salton Sea and surrounding settlements to explore the abandoned structures. The city of Niland is 1.5 miles (3 km) southeast, with population of 1.006. Evidence of geothermal activity is also evident. Mud and mud volcanoes are found on the eastern side of the Salton Sea. A number of geothermal power plants are located along the southeastern coast of the Salton Sea in Imperial County.
The US Geological Survey described the smell as "unpleasant," "dangerous," "unique," and "pervasive."
Maps Salton Sea
Ecology Edit
Fish population Edit
Due to its high salinity, very few fish species survive in the Salton Sea. Tilapia introduced are the main fish that can tolerate high levels of salinity and pollution. Other freshwater fish species live in rivers and canals feeding the Salton Sea, including thin threads, goldfish, red shiner, catfish, white catfish, largemouth bass, mosquitofish, sailfin molly, and vulnerable desert fish.
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazards (OEHHA) has developed safe food advisors for fish caught in the Salton Sea based on levels of mercury or PCB found in local species.
Avian Population Edit
The Sea of ​​Salton has been called the "crown jewel of birds' biodiversity". Milt Friend from the Salton Sea Science Office. More than 400 species have been documented in the Salton Sea. The most diverse and perhaps most significant bird populations in bird life in the continent of the United States are organized, rivaled only by Big Bend National Park in Texas. This supports 30% of the remaining white American pelican population. The Salton Sea is also a major stop on the Pacific Flyway. On November 18, 2006, a Ross gull, high arctic bird, was seen and photographed there.
Increase salinity Edit
The lack of outflow means that the Salton Sea has no natural stabilization system; it's very dynamic. Fluctuations in water levels caused by variations in agricultural runoff, ancient salt deposits at the bottom of the lake, and the relatively high salinity of feeding inflow, all lead to increased salinity. The body was originally a freshwater lake, but by the 1960s its increased salinity had begun to endanger some of its species. With salinity now exceeding 5.0% w/v (more salty than sea water), most fish species can not survive anymore. Freshwater fish known for their ability to retain the increased salinity of the Salton Sea, wilderness fish, can survive from about 0.0% to 7.0%. The fertilizer runoff has resulted in eutrophication, with large algal blooms and increased bacterial levels.
By 2014, large swaths of lake bottom are exposed and salt levels increase dramatically as water transfers are mandated to metropolitan areas along the coast and other factors, limiting the flow of water. In addition to the resulting fish kills, the shrinking lake disrupts the migration of birds, causes dust clouds, and the negative impacts of local tourism.
Remediation attempts Edit
Previous attempts and proposals for sea level channels Edit
The alternative to "salvaging" the Salton Sea has been evaluated since 1955.
Much of the current interest at sea was triggered in the 1990s by Congressman Sonny Bono. His widow, Mary Bono Mack, chosen to fill his seat, continues to be attracted to the Salton Sea, such as Representative Jerry Lewis of Redlands. In 1998, Sonon Bono Salton Marine Restoration Project was named for politicians.
In the late 1990s, the Sea Authority of Salton, a joint body of local forces, and the US Reclamation Bureau began efforts to evaluate and develop alternatives to salvage the Salton Sea. A draft Environmental Impact Statement, which does not mention a preferred alternative, was released for public review in 2000. Since then, the Sea Authority of Salton has developed a preferred concept involving the construction of a large dam that will confiscate water for making sea seas in the north and south of the sea and along the western edge.
Many other concepts have been proposed, including water pipelines from the ocean to wetlands in Mexico, Laguna Salada, as a tool for salt exports, and one by Aqua Genesis Ltd to bring seawater from the Gulf of California, refining it at sea. using available geothermal, and selling water to pay for the plan. This concept will involve the construction of more than 20 miles (30 km) of pipes and tunnels, and, with increasing demand for water on the coastline, will provide an additional 1,000,000 acre feet (1.2 km 3 ) water to the coastal towns of Southern California every year.
Country recovery package Edit
In 2003, the Imperial Irrigation District agreed to sell a portion of its quota from the Colorado River for 45 years to the San Diego County Water Authority. The California State Legislature, by law passed in 2003 and 2004, directed the Secretary of the California Resource Agency to prepare a recovery plan for the Salton Sea ecosystem, and the accompanying Environmental Impact Report. As part of this effort, the Secretary of Resources has established an advisory committee to provide recommendations to assist in the preparation of the Ecosystem Restoration Plan, including consultation at all alternative selection stages. The California Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fish and Games of California are leading efforts to develop the preferred alternative to the restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem and the protection of wildlife that relies on the ecosystem.
On January 24, 2008, the Office of California Legislation Analyst released a report entitled "Restoring the Salton Sea." The alternative options outlined in the draft call plans to spend nearly $ 9 billion over 25 years and propose a smaller but more manageable Salton Sea. The amount of water available for use by humans and wildlife will be reduced by 60% from 365Ã, mi 2 (945Ã, km 2 ) to about 147Ã, mi 2 (381 km 2 ). Around 52 mi (84 km) of perimeter and perimeter embankment embankments - which may be constructed of large rocks, gravel, and stone columns - will be erected, together with earthen embankments to pour water into horseshoe shapes along the northern shoreline from San Felipe Creek on the west coast to Bombay Beach on the east coast. The center of the sea will be allowed to evaporate almost completely and will serve as a saltwater siphon, while the southern part of the sea will be built into a saline habitat complex. Construction of the project will be completed by 2035.
The sale of Imperial water to San Diego resulted in the abundance of agricultural abundance needed to replenish the sea. During the first 15 years, the irrigation district has been asked to enter water into the Salton Sea to compensate for the loss of runoff. Since the requirement expires in 2017, the district sent a letter to the California State Water Resources Control Board in 2014 requesting that the sponsors' council negotiations make the country fulfill its obligations to halt the deterioration of the sea. The Pacific Institute, an environmental think tank based in Oakland, warned that the lack of water filling led to "a period of rapid deterioration." The rapidly shrinking sea is a "widespread environmental and public health crisis." With the increase in shrinkage, dust storms will rise and the smell of rotten eggs can reach coastal cities.
By 2018, the California Natural Resources Agency received 11 proposals to increase water flow to the sea to reduce toxic and dust-borne dusts. Proposal costs range from $ 300 million to several billion dollars. No winners are selected in this phase.
Earthquake geology Edit
The Salton Sea and the surrounding basin are located above the San Andreas Fault, the San Jacinto Fault, Imperial Damage Zone, and the "stepover defect" shear zone system. Geologists have determined that the previous flood episode of the Colorado River has been associated with an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. Sonar and other instruments were used to map the Salton Sea underwater faults during the study. During the period when the basin was filled by Lake Cahuilla, a much larger inland sea, an earthquake higher than magnitude 7 occurred approximately every 180 years, the last one that occurred in decades of 1700. Computer models show normal errors in the most vulnerable areas. for the loading of deviatoric stress by filling the water. Currently, the risk still exists for a magnitude 7 to 8 earthquake. Simulations also show, in the Los Angeles area, trembling and thus the damage will be worse for the San Andreas earthquake deployed along the fault of the south instead of the North. Such an earthquake also increases the risk of liquefaction in the Imperial Valley area.
The effective drainage division that separates the Salton Sea from the Gulf of California is about 9 m (30 ft) in altitude and is located near the Delta, northeast of Baja California State, Mexico, south-southeast Mexicali. Past sea level rise may be partly responsible for lake salinity, while potential future sea-level changes may occur. However, other factors such as hydrothermal vents, salt diffusion from minerals and sediments, including concentrated saltwater, and evaporites are other contributors to salinity, as recent lake level decreases increase salinity, although sediment records show lake-level elevations reaching 10- 12 m above sea level of the world in the 1500s.
Water temperature Edit
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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