The Salton Sea
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| Female Phainopepla |
We got up with the sun this morning and
drove over to the Yaqui Well to get a little desert birding in before heading
to the Salton Sea. As we climbed back
into the mountains we spotted a group of Borrego, or Big Horn Sheep cruising
along the rocky terrain and got a good look at them before they passed out of
sight. They are magnificent animals! At Yaqui Well we spotted several
Phainopeplas, and went for a short hike through bizarre plants like Ocotillo (Fouquieria
splendens) and Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus).
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| Ocotillo |
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| Barrel Cactus |
Katrina was antsy to hunt for some wild
edible minerals (and the birding wasn’t all that good in the desert), so we
drove east to the Salton Sea where we were immediately greeted by an abundance
of both salt and birds. If it wasn’t 60
degrees out, I would have thought that the shores were lined with snow that had
drifted into all the low spots, such was the color and abundance of salt. We learned that the Salton Sea is much
saltier than Ocean Water, and as the irrigation waters that feed the lake
evaporate, the salinity continues to rise.
Apparently this is a conservation concern because some of the fish that
live in the lake will soon be unable to tolerate the brine. The Salton Sea is of major importance to
migratory waterfowl, which rely on the abundance of fish. The signs that informed us of this
conservation pickle were kind of amusing because they insinuated that something
could be done. Katrina and I had a fun
time imagining solutions to the evaporation problem and ultimately decided that
the government should pay Katrina to remove salt from the water. Ironically, the Salton Sea (California’s
biggest lake) was formed in 1905 by an irrigation accident which diverted the
entire flow of the Colorado River into the -227 foot below sea level basin for
18 months. The Salton Sea isn’t without precedence
though as Native American narratives tell of a time when an even larger lake
filled the valley.
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| American Avocet |
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| Salton Sea Sunset |
The birding was exceptional. Highlights included Sand Hill Cranes, White
Faced Ibis, White Pelicans, American Avocets, Eared Grebes, Roadrunners, Abert’s
Towhee, ducks of every description, and thousands of Ross’s Geese. Our shadows stretched eastward before we
packed away the binoculars and started driving north towards Joshua Tree
National Park. We took a shortcut on Box
Canyon Road through the Mecca Hills and laid out our sleeping bags next to the
Little Box Canyon trail for another wonderful night under the stars.
Katrina was antsy to hunt for some wild
edible minerals (and the birding wasn’t all that good in the desert), so we
drove east to the Salton Sea where we were immediately greeted by an abundance
of both salt and birds. If it wasn’t 60
degrees out, I would have thought that the shores were lined with snow that had
drifted into all the low spots, such was the color and abundance of salt. We learned that the Salton Sea is much
saltier than Ocean Water, and as the irrigation waters that feed the lake
evaporate, the salinity continues to rise.
Apparently this is a conservation concern because some of the fish that
live in the lake will soon be unable to tolerate the brine. The Salton Sea is of major importance to
migratory waterfowl, which rely on the abundance of fish. The signs that informed us of this
conservation pickle were kind of amusing because they insinuated that something
could be done. Katrina and I had a fun
time imagining solutions to the evaporation problem and ultimately decided that
the government should pay Katrina to remove salt from the water. Ironically, the Salton Sea (California’s
biggest lake) was formed in 1905 by an irrigation accident which diverted the
entire flow of the Colorado River into the -227 foot below sea level basin for
18 months. The Salton Sea isn’t without precedence
though as Native American narratives tell of a time when an even larger lake
filled the valley.
