The Desert Shores Canals were praised as a place for delightful living with a spacious waterfront where you would have your own dock for swimming, boating and water skiing (Source: Investment Advertising in the Salton Seafarer Vol. 3, Nr. 5, 01.09.1960).
For some years, it was the Venice of the Salton Sea. Another article from the Salton Seafarer covers the story of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, a retired couple from San Clemente who bought a lot on the first finger of the Marina Mobile Estates. They describe their home as "THE Most Romantic" and "like a dream come true" (Source: Salton Seafarer Vol. 8, Nr. 4, 01.05.1965).
In the Seventies, the entries for Desert Shores in the newspaper became less and less. The exodus began. The Salton Sea was created accidentally and has no natural access to any fresh water. Its only inflow consists of agricultural runoff. The increasing amount of hydrogen sulfide resulted in an unprecedented dying of animals in and around the lake. In addition to that, the high temperatures in the desert caused severe evaporation. The lake began to stink and to shrink. If you would like to read more of the history of the Salton Sea, please also check out the article: The Salton Sea - A d(r)ying Paradise.
50 years later
These days, living at Desert Shores is far from being delightful. Huge mansions along the dry channels embody the broken dreams of the "investment opportunities galore". The boat docks are still there, only the water is not. Standing at the once busy channels, I could only imagine how beautiful it must have been. The streets still bear their old names: Sea View Drive, Palm Drive, Venice Lane. Like ghosts from the pasts.
The Desert Shores Restoration Project
A local non-profit organization is trying to restore the channels by placing a berm at their mouth and pump water from the sea to refill them. The latest project update on their website dates back to April 2022. I don't know if there has been no update ever since of if they just did not communicate it. I will update this blog post as soon as I receive an update from the organization.
World Water Day
Still, I wanted to publish this article on the occassion of World Water Day, an annual United Nations Observance focusing of the importance of fresh water. The Salton Sea, better than any other place I've seen so far, is a memorial of what happens when a region runs out of water. With my ongoing photo series, I'd like to raise awareness for the fortune of the Salton Sea but also for the surrounding valleys. Like a burning glass, this region illustrates the source that futures wars may be about: water as the basis for our living.
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