• The Salton Sea is California’s largest lake located on the southern border of the Coachella Valley.

• It is a hyper-saline lake, meaning it has a high concentration of salt, about 2.5 times greater than the ocean.

• The sea is also 222 feet (68 metres) below sea level.

• A major human-caused environmental disaster created this lake.

• While attempting to irrigate California's Imperial Valley, floodwaters carved away the earthen bank of a Colorado River canal in 1905, and, for 18 months, the river drained into the Salton Sink, creating the lake.

• Human activities and natural evaporation concentrated salt levels, making the lake ecosystem toxic to most aquatic species.

• Today the biggest challenge facing the Salton Sea is improving its water quality, managing its salinity levels and habitat to support a diverse ecosystem once again.

Efforts to Save the Ecosystem:

• Scientists are considering different approaches, including bringing water from the ocean into the sea to dilute its salt levels, restoring the lake’s ecosystem, and protecting vulnerable shorebirds.

• The California State Legislature passed the Salton Sea Restoration Act, which allocates nearly $15 million each year to projects that help to restore the lake.

• The Coachella Valley Water District is working on pilot restoration projects to create salt-tolerant wetlands, which could help improve water quality and create new habitat for migratory birds.

• The Salton Sea Authority, a joint powers authority comprising the counties of Imperial and Riverside, is exploring ways to improve the salinity of the sea, including the construction of a new canal.

• Other proposals involve developing solar energy production at the Salton Sea to generate renewable energy and use excess heat to reduce salinity levels.