Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is definitely one of the strangest yet most fascinating places I have visited so far and I cannot wait to go back there one day. Created accidentally through improperly planned irrigation routes and subsequent flooding of the Colorado River during the early 20th century, it became one of the largest bodies of water in California and a recreational hot spot during the 1950s and 60s. During the following decades, its high salinity and bacterial imbalance caused massive fish and bird die-offs along with creating its famously putrid smell during the summer months. Today the shores lie mostly in ruins and abandoned, save for a few hold-out residents and the so-called "snowbirds" who descend on the Salton Sea in trailers and Winnebagos during wintertime. Despite its problems, it has become an established part of the ecosystem and many proposals for it's rescue and resurrection have been made in recent years. According to Wikipedia, more than 400 species of birds have been sighted at the Salton Sea and it supports 30% of the remaining population of the American White Pelican. The Salton Sea can be many things, ranging from beautiful to eerie as well as a throwback to the past, and I regret that I only had this one day in January to document its surroundings. More interesting information can be found at this movie's website called "The Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea"
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Part of the lost town at Bombay Beach and allegedly the most heavily photographed trailer ever. I did a Google search and it is certainly true that photos of this decaying structure can be found at almost any stage of decomposition and in any weather. Still, after all there are not that many and I am glad to contribute this shot to the timeline of decay :). The chair, by the way, seems quite new, a rather rotten twin can be found in some earlier shots. Don't know where this one came from, maybe sat sheltered inside...?
steven
on November 22, 2012Don't you presume to sass my chair, you young whippersnapper! I sit there in the cool of the desert evenings often thinking of times gone by.