Thursday Top of the Scroll: Drying Salton Sea has caused dangerous pollution, health problems for nearby communities, study finds
Back in 2003, farmers in California’s Imperial Valley agreed to send some of their Colorado River water to cities on the coast. The deal was touted as a win for thirsty Californians and a boon for efforts to conserve water. But the deal also caused dangerous pollution for those living near the Salton Sea, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics on Wednesday. For the study, researchers looked at 20 years of daily air pollution data collected from around the inland and heavily saline Salton Sea between 1998 to 2018. As the water-transfer program reduced agricultural runoff that replenishes the sea, once-underwater lakebed was exposed to wind, leading to increased dust and air pollutants that can cause heart and respiratory issues, they found.
Related article:
- Audubon California – Blog: A Shorebird Lover’s Paradise at the Salton Sea