The Salton Sea currently covers about 380 square miles. It is shallow, only an average
of 30 feet deep. The Salton Sea is surrounded by agriculture. With a
latitude of approximately 33 degrees N, winters are mild, so year-round farming occurs in
the region. Cotton, sugar beets, lettuce and citrus are the main crops raised here. Since it is
fed by agricultural run-off, the Salton Sea
can at times have high concentrations of agricultural
by-products, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and defoliants. Algal blooms caused
by the agricultural drain water (a rich source of food) cause localized fish kills.
When the algae bloom, they remove oxygen from the near shore areas, killing
numerous fish.
This is shuttle image STS059-0097-0062 taken in April 1994. Captured with
InfraRed film, the crops appear
red because they give off more heat than the surrounding land.
