Even though I drive up Highway 74 every weekend, and sometimes mid-week to visit my horses at the boarding ranch, it is very unusual to see a clear view of the Salton Sea from the road. First, there are only a couple of turnouts where you can stop and view it. Second, most of the time it is just too hazy to even bother to take a photo. But, on this morning, last Sunday, after an overnight snowfall, the air was crisp and clean and the sea reflected the light on it. The Salton Sea is the lowest point in Southern California and all of the irrigation water from the Coachella Valley flows into it. It is 226 feet below sea level. It is actually the largest lake in California, larger than Lake Tahoe, but the water is highly salty. There is no outflow and the constant addition of chemicals from the nearby agricultural areas make it extremely salty. If it "belches", we can ALL smell it (which sometimes is NOT a good thing!) Nobody seems to know what to do about it, so it sits and smells and glistens on some mornings like this one. SkyWatch Friday for February 24, 2011. See more at http://skyley.blogspot.com/
