Research

The first image is the aerial view of the Salton Sea: a saline lake set in the sunny arid hills of California.

The second image of a cylindrical form is the famed Morton Salt box, although my use of this particular brand name is neither here nor there.

I live on the south shoreline of Long Island and am familiar with the destructive yet nurturing behavior of salt. I can easily recall my father panicking about needing new car parts due to our environment being so rich in sodium. I also remember taking the advice of my mother, who drilled it into my head that the ocean has a phenomenal ability to doctor blisters, burns and cuts. She'd say that it cures wounds as it does deli meats. In our case, salt didn't disrupt our daily lives too much since it had an outlet.

However, the surrounding areas of the now defunct Salton Sea are gravely affected by its presence. Located south of Palm Springs, the Salton Sea used to be huge tourist attraction. It was accidentally created when irrigation canals ruptured, filling a desert endorheic basin, recreating an ancient saline sea. With no outlet, the toxic Sea gets its fair share of sewage and agricultural runoff, and is chock full of heavy metals and elements, as well as algal blooms, parasites and bacteria. It is a breeding ground for disease. Houses are buried in mud, and the region smells like death for miles. Inhabitants that have not yet abandoned the area have little money and uncertain futures.

The very issue of the Salton Sea shouldn't be taken with just a grain of salt. It is a serious ecological disaster that not too many people know about.