Salton Sea

We are once again on the seashore but more than 100 miles from the nearest ocean.  The Salton Sea was originally formed when the Colorado River changed course about 700 AD and filled the Salton Sink.  It was originally named Lake Cahuilla and was renamed Salton Sea in 1905.  It has a high salinity (about 25% higher than the ocean) and is very high in nutrients.  The salinity is caused by the high evaporation rate in the hot desert sun.  The nutrients are added by runoff from agricultural fields and urban settings.

This picture was taken near the north end.   There was a haze or fog that made it difficult to see the mountains on the other side.

The view above is to the west.  In contrast, here is a view in the opposite direction.  This is the Colorado Desert.

This is our RV at the Salton Sea shaded by a palm tree.  This is a California State Park.  You can see that the park wasn't crowded.  The temperature was low forties at night to a high in the mid sixties; not perfect but acceptable.  Especially if the alternative is Minnesota weather.  I felt terrible when I heard they got 5 inches of snow the other day.  NOT!

This is the sun setting over the Salton Sea.  The black specks in the water are ducks.  There were hundreds of them swimming around.