Strange Days on the Salton Sea

[BridgeTheGap]

California’s Salton Sea isn’t just a body of water, it’s an epic tale of environmental tinkering gone wrong wrapped up in a storyline that involves real estate fever, massive fish kills, congressman Sonny Bono, and more than a few sunburned eccentrics. High Country News tells part of the strange tale in its March 3 issue. For a cinematic, even weirder take on the sea and its characters, check out the documentary film Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea, now out on DVD, which is reviewed in the March-April Utne Reader.

http://tinyurl.com/3xnyza

[dbackjon]

1. Lovely place - the Salton Sea

Great place for birding - especially in August/September (hotter than hell though)

[XemaSab]

4. Many fond memories of birding the Salton Sea...

Plus a few not-so-fond memories and a couple downright GROSS memories.

The last time I was there I got the Ross' Gull. :thumbsup:

[dbackjon]

6. That was before I moved back out West

Missed that one :(

Did get lifer Yellow-footed Gull though :)

[XemaSab]

7. I've had

Least bittern, yellow-footed gull, Franklin's gull, gull-billed tern, blue-footed booby, and probably some others I'm forgetting there. :)

[melody]

2. What they need is a good sea monster -- if they had one, it's dead

My father lived there (well, Niland, which isn't far) for years and I would always wear my "Salty the Sea Monster"
t-shirt -- Salty being dead with his claws curled up, of course.

That place is just weird -- cool, but weird. Bombay Beach, similarly. I should add the number of religious whacks out
there (due to the perceived "holy land" links) is mind-numbing.

[Richard D]

3. I remember . . .

. . . going there as a kid and water skiing. Beautiful place then. Sad to see what's happening to it.

[hunter]

5. I've experienced some extreme weirdness there over the years.

Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY! Shorelines covered with rotting fish is always a good one.

And some normalcy, but not as much.