The Salton Sea has lost a third of its water in 25 years. A decline in Colorado River flow is the reason for the smaller river.
A mass die-off of fish and birds has been caused by the increased concentration of salt and chemicals in the water. Dust from the dry lakebed can cause respiratory problems for nearby residents.
The lead author of a new study said that it is an environmental catastrophe.
There are many theories about why the water levels are decreasing. Climate change is blamed for the drying up of the lake. Some people think that agriculture could be to blame. Less water gets into the Salton Sea as irrigation systems get more efficient and crops are altered to use less water. These are some of the causes of the sea's decline.
The problem is caused by less water coming from the Colorado River into the sea. The methods used to get this finding are now published in a journal.
The Salton Sea is an endorheic lake where water flows in but not out to any of the other streams. Due to the effects of global warming and diversion of water for agricultural and industrial purposes, endorheic lakes have been decreasing in recent decades.
To understand the reasons for the Salton Sea's decline, the researchers used a model that accounted for all the processes that affect the lake's water balance.
The model included data from the surrounding Watershed, streams entering the lake, and land areas that drain into those streams.
Stakeholders may have been reluctant to share data that could alter previously earned water rights as this is a transboundary basin between the US and Mexico. Reducing Colorado River flows are the main cause of the Salton Sea's Shrinking.
It's not clear if the decline in Colorado River water is due to global warming or reductions in allocation levels to California.
The Salton Sea Watershed should be considered part of the Colorado River basin according to the researchers.
The Sea is an independent system and a Watershed-Centered Approach is needed to find a solution. All parties need to work together to mitigate the environmental risks of the Sea mount.
More information: Juan S. Acero Triana et al, Identifying Major Hydrologic Change Drivers in a Highly Managed Transboundary Endorheic Basin: Integrating Hydro‐Ecological Models and Time Series Data Mining Techniques, Water Resources Research (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022WR032281 Journal information: Water Resources Research
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