Historical geography of the Salton Sea
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geography
presentation
published 03/10/2008
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level : General public
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Running a length of 35 miles, spanning a width of 15 miles and covering an area of 381 square miles, Salton Sea makes for the largest inland saline lake in the state of California. With a surface elevation of 227 feet below sea level, it is located 35 miles north of the California-Mexican border and 130 miles east of San Diego, and suspected to have been a part of northern extension of the Gulf of California. It is bounded by mountains on its tree sides, to the north is the Orocopia Mountains, to the west is Santa Rosa Range and finally, on its eastern side is the Chocolate Mountains. Given its location, Salton Sea belongs to the Colorado Desert Ecosystem, a region which receives the least amount of rainfall, barely exceeding three inches in a year. The climate in the area is generally arid such that the odd presence of the lake maybe considered the oasis of that place. The vegetation in the sea is limited only to cattail sedges, tamarisk, cottonwood and bamboo, most of which are concentrated in freshwater area. The beaches in the sea are either of sandy or silt and mud mixture sprinkled with barnacle and snail shells (Capellan, 1961).
Table of Contents
- Introduction.
- The birth of Salton Sea.
- Lake Cahuilla: The predecessor of Salton.
- Golden days of Salton Sea.
- Downfall of the Salton Sea.
- Resuscitating a dying sea.
