Salton Sea Lesson Plan

To make sure our research and solutions meant something, my class also had to create some kind of outreach. I decided to write a lesson plan for schools around the Salton Sea so that the local people would know and care what happens to it.

Salton Sea Lesson Plan
Amelia Vance

Location:
In the southeastern corner of California
In Salton Sink, just north of Imperial Valley, in desert area
Salton Sink is a basin between the San Jacinto Fault Zone to the west and the San Andreas Fault Zone to the east
Its surface is at 227ft below sea level


History:
Gulf of California used to extend into Indio California, near Palm Springs
At the time, the Colorado River entered the Gulf where Yuma, Arizona is today
Then silt began to settle at the Colorado River delta and isolated a portion of water where Salton Sea is today, and the Colorado River turned south to follow the new gulf
Without a water source, the lake dried up
Then the Colorado River turned back to the north and recreated the lake (Lake Cahuilla)
Again the lake dried up as the Colorado River turned back to the gulf
In 1905 the Colorado River, on the border between California and Arizona, overflowed a levee into the Salton Sink to form the Salton Sea
Submerged an entire town


Water Content:
Saline lake (salty)
Salt is 44 parts per million, ~500 million tons



Ecosystem:
Fish: by 1951, 34,000 fish of 35 different saltwater species, had been transported from the Gulf of California and planted in the Salton Sea
Pupfish, 2 inch endangered fish
Tilapia fish, mostly native to Africa
Sargo, transplanted for fishing
Gulf croaker, transplanted for fishing
Orange-mouth corvine, also transplanted and feeds off croakers.
Most species did not survive
Algae: comes in blooms, causing the fish to suffer in greater numbers
barnacles



Birds:
Salton Sea is a major stop for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway, a path birds fly up and down the west coast from Alaska to Patagonia at the southern tip of South America
>400 species, 50 are endangered
Eared Grebes
Brown pelican, endangered
Yuma Clapper Rail, endangered
American white pelican, 30% of population supported there



Scientific Studies:
Water inflow
Agricultural drainage
Studies have found that Salton Sea is possibly the most productive fishery in the world
Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project
Drilled for cores deep in ground
Fish selenium levels
San Diego State University study
Determined, based on the selenium levels, that it is safe to eat 3 pounds of fish from Salton Sea safely in contrast to the 1986 study which said only 8 ounces
However, the study found arsenic in the fish, so no more than 26 to 46ozs every two weeks


Water Conservation:
Many people take the clean water that comes out of our faucets for granted
The water comes from lakes and rivers that often have to be dammed
Water conservation starts at home
Tips for conserving water:
Turn off faucets and showers when you are not washing or rinsing, such as when you are brushing your teeth, and install low-flow faucets
Take shorter showers
The average toilet uses 3.5 to 5 gallons of water for every flush. Install ultra-low flush toilets that use only 1.6 gallons, or less
Use drought tolerant or native plants in your garden