ipl-logo

Salton Sea Case Study

1999 Words8 Pages

3 The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. It covers approximately 343 square miles and has a maximum depth of only 43 feet. The Salton Sea is a salt water lake that was created by accident, when the salt flat known as the Salton Sink was flooded. In the year 1905, heavy rainfall caused several canals off of the Colorado River to swell, which caused water to flood into the Salton Sink, creating the Salton Sea. For a time, the Salton Sea was a popular tourist attraction with many resort towns around the massive lake. But eventually all of the agricultural runoff from surrounding areas polluted the lake.
The Salton Sea is now a shadow of its former self, with many environmental problems. The water is unclean with many contaminants. Many …show more content…

In order for these plans to work, a shallow water dike would need to be built around where the Alamo and New River feed into the Salton Sea. Then, an artificial river would need to be created to bring water from the south end of the Salton Sea to treatment facilities that would be built at the north end of the sea. The water would flow north, then would be treated, and then would be deposited back into the Salton Sea at the north end. This would over time allow for water to continue feeding the Salton Sea, except it would be clean water. The downside to this plan is that in order to create a canal and to flow water into it, it would expose much more of the basin along the shore.
The most realistic plans to save the Salton Sea involve a multilevel approach including the use of dikes, evaporation systems, water treatment and desalination facilities, and artificial rivers to transport water. However, in order to restore the Salton Sea, salt is not the only thing that must be removed. Nutrient removal must be performed at the tributaries to the Salton Sea. The issue of agricultural runoff must be addressed before any of these plans can be successful. Realistically, if the runoff is not cleaned before it enters into the Salton Sea, then the sea will continue to become more and more

Show More
Related

  • Mya Seaway Research Paper

    1677 Words  | 7 Pages

    INTRODUCTION The Cretaceous Period, spanning 65.5-146 million years ago (Mya), was a world different from what we are familiar with today. Planetary changes during this period included the extinction of dinosaurs and drastic global warming. The breakup of the super continent Pangea had started about 30 Mya, and seaways had begun to form and cover landmass that had once been a part of the super continent (Geologic Time). Today, scientists know that one of these landmasses, the North American continent as we now know it, was at one point covered by a vast inland sea known as the Western Interior Seaway.

    Read More

  • Sci201 Unit 1

    391 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although beneficial, the removal of sediment within bodies of water is of a costly nature and is usually a last resort. (Lenntech,

    Read More

  • Oceana Case Study

    867 Words  | 4 Pages

    1. Was the Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 of the State of Oceana properly applied to this case? Yes. According to Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 of the state of Oceana, any person who knowingly and intentionally takes the life of another is guilty of murder.

    Read More

  • Analysis: Blue Skin Of The Sea

    240 Words  | 1 Pages

    The theme of chapter six, in the book “Blue Skin of the Sea”, is, even if someone isn’t present on Earth, they are present in your heart. This means that maybe someone might not live, or walk on Earth, but they live in someone 's heart, and will always be remembered even if they passed. First of all, on page one hundred and six, Sonny thinks, “To him, and to Aunty Pearl, my mother was Crissy with her hand on Dad’s chest, not just an old photograph in a picture album.” Sonny is saying how his mother is more than just a photographic memory. She is a memory that is still alive to her dad.

    Read More

  • Seaworld Research Paper

    1175 Words  | 5 Pages

    I think that SeaWorld is an amazing facility. I love the fact that they rescue sea creatures from their inevitable death. I love the fact that children love to come here. I love the fact that this place causes children to subconsciously learn something. I love to bring my kids here on the weekend to watch the shows that the trainers put on with the orcas.

    Read More

  • The Killing Sea Analysis

    715 Words  | 3 Pages

    December, 2004 In Indonesia was a tragic month Because a tsunami hit and killed many people, in addition to all of the deaths, the tsunami destroyed everything in meulaboh. The author Richard lewis wrote the book to tell and to simulate the tsunami in the killing sea with two new characters, ruslan who once collaborated with sarah to save her little brother, peter. In the book The Killing Sea by Richard Lewis, Ruslan and Sarah have different viewpoints about what makes a good family.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Fouling Our Own Nests By Robert Helenon

    615 Words  | 3 Pages

    The use of the vignette creates a sense of dirtiness and corruption that alludes to the main purpose of the chapter—water pollution. Glennon claims that “water pollution is an acute national problem that threatens our existing water supply” (76). Existing problems that the author discusses in his chapter include: the collection of sewage and storm water in a single collection system, nitrogen fertilizer, and animal feeding operations. Robert Glennon effectively validates his

    Read More

  • Great Salt Lake Research Paper

    358 Words  | 2 Pages

    GREAT SALT LAKE: Great Salt Lake we all know is the largest natural river located in the West of Mississippi River. It is approximately 75 miles long and about 35 miles wide. How did the Great Salt Lake originated? Initially Great Salt Lake is a part of Lake Bonneville. Lake Bonneville is a great ice age lake that rose dramatically from a small saline lake 30,000 years ago.

    Read More

  • Salton Sea Research Paper

    605 Words  | 3 Pages

    If the Salton Sea starts to dry up severely both wildlife and humans will be affected. The more it dries up, the more toxins are sent into the air. Residents that live near the Sea and even people that live very far away will inhale these toxins that can potentially cause cancer. Deaths have already occurred as a result of this and many more are bound to happen. The Salton Sea serves as an important stop for migrant birds.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Water In Sacramento River, California

    125 Words  | 1 Pages

    Because is causing the water to evaporate quicker therefore, causing less water, since it is drying up the sea. Furthermore, this happening is also harming animals like the birds that migrate and if it dries up completely then can cause air

    Read More

  • Essay On Chesapeake Bay Watershed

    635 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, an overabundance of some nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, impairs water quality. “Agriculture is the largest source of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams.” quotes the Washington Post (Baker, 2015). About 50% of phosphorus and 40% of nitrogen dumped into the bay stems from agricultural runoff. According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, “Each year, roughly 300 million pounds of polluting nitrogen reaches the Chesapeake Bay—about six times the amount that reached the bay in the 1600s.”(cfb.org). The major sources of the excess nutrients comes from over fertilization of crops with animal manure seeping into waterways, and animals having direct access to waters where waste is carried into the watershed (Baker, 2015).

    Read More

  • Sea Level Rise In Miami

    1115 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Imminent Threat of Sea Level Rise in Miami Here in southeast Florida we are one of the most vulnerable sea level rise places on earth. Citizens of these cities have begun to notice the changes of the sea level during a small period of time. Each time, it is more common to see in no rain days flooding, streets of water coming out under the earth, and it is not fresh water. It is salty water proceeding from the ocean. According to the World Resources Institute, (Forbes 3) by the end of this century, the sea level could increase up to 4 feet; at this point, more than 80 percent of south beach would be flooded.

    Read More

  • Role Of Desalination In California

    1275 Words  | 6 Pages

    The First solution is desalination which is the process of removing salt from the sea water to make it drinkable water. Have you ever thought that it would be great if we can use the water from the sea? Because no matter how weather has changed, there is always huge amount and unlimited water in the sea, and we all can use it. The only reason why we cannot use that water is because it is salty water. Desalination can help to make our dream possible.

    Read More

  • The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Essay

    1492 Words  | 6 Pages

    And it will be an echo of humanity for their actions, because less sea food will be available to

    Read More

  • Synthesis Essay About Water Pollution

    885 Words  | 4 Pages

    Intro: Water pollution has caused so many problems to our waterways that no one really knows how to help. Water pollution caused; dead zones, oil spills, garbage floating around, and unsafe drinking water. People disagree about water pollution because, people have found ways to improve and help out the problem that water pollution has caused around the world. Others believe that that water pollution has created situations and are in the process of figuring out solutions. Marine life habitats are getting destroyed, marine life is declining everyday, how and where the garbage is getting into the oceans, and the drinking water is becoming seriously unsafe to drink.

    Read More

More about Salton Sea Case Study

Open Document