I was given an incredible video today showing the rise and fall of various towns around the Salton Sea in Southern California.
The Salton Sea was accidentally created in 1905 when irrigation systems suddenly ruptured and dumped water into the Salton Basin, a vast dry lake bed. The area suddenly became lake-side property and developers flocked to Salton to build new resorts, boom towns, and spas.
However, without any outlets the sea started to accumulate sediments and salt. This process is similar to what occurs in the Dead Sea or the Great Salt Lake. Salt and soil comes in through rain water, irrigation, and rivers, but can’t leave since it doesn’t evaporate like water. So the salt levels keep rising, and rising, and rising.
People are very good about jumping on new opportunities. New lands, environments, and challenges crop up everyday. However, as you can see in the video below, nature… Well, sometimes nature doesn’t care what we hope to achieve. It’ll continue to run its course. And, of course, people will continue to try too. This is only a small example of the ruins our history with nature leaves behind.
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Sources: Ransom Riggs
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