Salton Sea

Map of the Salton Sea, New River and Alamo River.

The Salton Sea is a large inland lake in the United States state of California. There are no rivers which flow out of it (making it an endorheic lake), so it is very salty. It is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long from north to south, and 15 miles (24 km) wide from east to west. It is well below sea level, with its surface elevation at −226 feet (−69 m), and its deepest part is 52 feet (16 m) deep. The New River and Alamo River flow in from the south, while the Whitewater River flows in from the north. It was created in 1905, when heavy rain flooded the Colorado River and caused it to flow into the basin that now holds the Salton Sea.

Salton Sea Media

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  Map of the Salton Sea drainage area

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  Yuma Project – Dry bed of Colorado River below Imperial Intake (1906)

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  The New River passes from Mexicali, Baja California, to the Imperial Valley, and on to the Salton Sea.

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  Abandoned, salt-encrusted structures on the Salton Sea shore at Bombay Beach

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  Salt deposits along the eastern shore of the sea

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  Toxic salt ponds along the western shoreline

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  Dead fish on the western shore of Salton City

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  Aerial view of the Salton Sea from the north

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  The mud volcanoes at the Salton Sea are very gaseous. When the bubbles burst, it's warm and smells like sulfur.

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  2002 satellite image of the Salton Sea with surrounding developments