Salton Sea Rotten Egg Smell Discourages Visitors, Attracts New Economic Development

SALTON CITY, Calif.— The Salton Sea is one of the largest lakes in California, and it teemed with water, fish, and tourists just a few decades ago. However, over the last three decades, the body of water has become a major ecological challenge, with sulfide smells now keeping tourists away. Resting at 227 feet below sea level, the area’s unique location and surrounding topography led to a cycle in which the lake formed, dried out, and reformed. According to the Imperial Irrigation District, which serves the Imperial Valley, a breach in an irrigation inlet in the Colorado River in 1905 led to a spill that flooded a highly saline area and formed the Salton Sea. Over the century, the body of water became home to fish and migratory birds....