When talking about the Salton Sea and the areas surrounding it, there’s really a lot to unpack. From Bombay Beach to Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Slab City, East Jesus, West Satan, Salvation Mountain, and of course the Salton Sea itself. All of these places come together to form what is arguably one of the most interesting areas in the country. Driving the 116 miles around the Salton Sea’s shoreline you’ll find the remains of crumbling towns, fading history, and numerous art installations. You might also find yourself wondering what brought it to how it sits today. During my visit in 2018, I had only scratched the surface of everything that the Salton Sea has to offer in ways of art and exploration. I found it interesting that among what was forgotten, plenty of life still remained within the inhabited areas surrounding the sea. I still wondered though, why did these other areas meet such an alternate fate? Surely they were once quite popular, so what’s the story? How did this area once called the “miracle in the desert” fall to be known as an environmental health hazard?

It’s really hard to tell the story of these places as a whole because each area is different for so many reasons. That being said, where do I begin? I suppose we could start with the Salton Sea itself.

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THE SALTON SEA:

The Salton Sea is located on the San Andreas Fault, spanning Riverside and Imperial counties, between the Imperial and Coachella valleys. It was created by accident when water from the Colorado River flowed over in 1905. 

The area the sea now occupies was originally an ancient dry lake bed known as the Salton Sink. As the area around it provided a fine-grained fertile soil, in combination with the hot desert climate, it was deemed that the land would be perfect for healthy farmland. In 1900, irrigation canals were built from the Colorado River to the old Alamo River channel in order to irrigate water to the Imperial Valley region from the Colorado River. As water came flowing in, thousands of people moved to the area to establish farms across 100,000 acres of land.

After five years of silt buildup, a series of cuts were made in the bank of the Colorado River to increase the flow of water. The third intake, “Mexican Cut,” which was located near Yuma, Arizona could not take the heavy flow caused by extreme rains, and spilled out into the Salton Basin for nearly two years. This overflow slowly filled the dry lake bed, creating the Salton Sea. Eventually, repairs were completed, and by repairs, I mean the Southern Pacific Railroad came in and dumped literally tons of debris into the water, in order to change direction of its flow. Thanks to this, the overflow of water was stopped. The lake is currently fed by agricultural runoff in addition to overflow from the New, Whitewater, and Alamo rivers. As of today, with a surface are of approximately 350 square miles, the Salton Sea is the largest lake in California by surface area.

The Salton Sea was originally a freshwater lake, but by the 1960s, salinity was rising drastically and had even begun to jeopardize many of the species in and around the sea. While most species of fish were unable to survive, the desert pupfish is one freshwater fish that was able to push through. These fish are able to withstand salinities ranging from 0-7%. During the 1960s, the water had reached a salinity exceeding 5% – saltier than the Pacific Ocean. The rise in salinity was caused by the lake itself lacking any outflow. With no outflow, it has no natural stabilization system. Due to a combination of variations in agricultural runoff, ancient salt deposits in the lake bed, and high salinity of inflows feeding the sea, over years the lake’s salinity has increased greatly. As millions of fish died off, the avian population that once survived on those fish also had begun to fade away. Contamination in the water also promoted the outbreak and spread of diseases, such as avian cholera. By the early 1980s, the lake was no longer able to sustain wildlife. An emergency was declared in November 2019 as the New River had become heavily polluted, and was still emptying into the Salton Sea. By January 2020, the lake’s salinity was double that of the Atlantic Ocean.

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SALTON SEA BEACH AND SALTON CITY:

The first place I stopped at as I arrived – the crumbling remains at the eastern end of Salton Sea Beach.

While much of the area leading up to the beach remains inhabited by southern California residents, as you travel closer to the shoreline, you’ll find sections of the coastal city in ruins. The Salton Sea Beach was once a popular tourist attraction for those vacationing in southern California. The beach is located in Imperial County, California, and currently has a population of approximately 400 people over 0.3 square miles. Many areas surrounding the sea had become popular tourist and vacationing spots during the 1950s and 60s, Salton Sea Beach being one of them. However, even during earlier years many would come to watch speedboat races. Five world records were set by speedboats in 1929. The high salinity increased buoyancy, and being positioned at 200 feet below sea level, barometric pressure increased the performance of the boats.

With nearby Palm Springs operating successfully as a desert resort town, developers planned to bring the same to the Salton Sea, making it the new hip place to be. What followed was construction of numerous resorts along the lake’s shoreline. Fish were also released into the lake, adding fishing to the list of water related activities to be enjoyed by vacationers. By the late 1950s, the Salton Sea had become not only one of the most popular tourist destinations, but it had also become the most productive fishery in the state of California.

During its most popular years, the area attracted numerous Hollywood stars, such as Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis, who would visit their friend Guy Lombardo’s yacht. The Beach Boys had even become members of the North Shore Yacht Club. President Dwight Eisenhower golfed here, and Sonny Bono would visit from time to time. Motels, hotels and casinos were built along the shoreline, from Bombay Beach to Salton City and spaces inbetween.

Unfortunately, due to rising sea levels and contaminants in the 1970s, many buildings along the shoreline were abandoned. Many of them remain today crumbling in the desert heat. Of course, today the water levels have receded from what they once were, so many of them sit dry and dusty rather than submerged in the lake. In addition, in 2018 after a water transfer agreement with San Diego, the lake will now see 40 percent less water flowing into it.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the popularity of the Salton Sea as a vacation destination greatly declined. Vacationers feared the rising salinity and pollution levels of the water. Because of this, not many people wanted to partake in swimming, boating or other various recreational activities once enjoyed in this lake. Over the following years, many of the original tourist structures fell to pieces, including the Truckhaven Cafe, the Salton Bay Yacht Club hotel and restaurant, and the Holly House motel and restaurant.

Just south of Salton Sea Beach, you’ll find Salton City, which was established in 1958 and developed through the 1960s by M. Penn Phillips and the Holly Corporation. This area, only about 10 miles away, would see the same fates following the decline through the 70s and into the 90s.  Salton City would however see some development in the 2000s as the California housing market saw a rise. The area offered cheap land and hosing costs, along with a nearby casino. Salton City currently holds a population of near 5,000 residents.

The Salton City area often sees less than an inch of rainfall the entire year, often going multiple years with less than an inch in combination. The area rarely sees a cold day, with the average temperatures year round being a high of 87.7 and a low of 57.6.

Aside from other issues surrounding the area, one of the biggest issues remains the toxic dust swept up from dry areas of the lakebed. These dusts contain harmful pesticides, heavy metals and fine particles linked to asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Environmentalists and others say that in the near future, as the lake continues to dry up, more and more toxic dust will be picked up by heavy winds and swept into distant towns and cities, contaminating them or making people ill. Dr. Tim Krantz, who served as the Salton Sea Database Program Director said ‘it will be an air quality disaster unparalleled in the world. Millions of people as far south as Mexi-Cali will be affected by this.’

In hopes to keep the exposed dust under control, a bond measure was approved by voters in California that will provide $200 million in funding, which they hope will help begin to control the toxic alkaline dust by building wetlands on dry areas of the lakebed. While many think this is a great solution, others think it may not be enough. 

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BOMBAY BEACH:

After spending an hour or two wandering in and around Salton Sea Beach and Salton City, we planned our next stop; Bombay Beach. The town sits directly across the lake from Salton City, but I’d suggest making sure you’re done seeing what you want to see before heading over, as it’s an hour drive from Salton City. I guess if you were like, an incredibly fast and talented swimmer, and didn’t mind braving the toxins in the water, you could paddle your way over. Or you could take a boat. A speedboat.

Visiting Bombay Beach, I saw numerous art installations scattered throughout an almost purposefully dystopian landscape full of busted up trailers, cars and houses in the desert. It could have been a movie scene, or the setting for a video game. This is really what made this area different. There’s a lot of artistic things happening with the rusted and crumbling areas here, and you’ll find various themes as you travel the grid of streets. Keep in mind that while traveling around the entirety of the Salton Sea, you’ll see random art installations pop up in various spots throughout the drive, so keep your eyes open for them. I’m sure I missed hundreds, but I could only do so much in 8 hours.

If you find yourself traveling through, and happen to miss a bunch on the way, no worries because Bombay Beach has plenty to check out.

As someone who loves art, the desert, desolation, and rusty, broken down abandoned things, this place was one of the best places I could have ended up during this trip. It hit every single one of those marks better than I had imagined it would. 

In the early 2000s, the town’s population was 366, but has since only continued to drop. With a population now under 300, the town has become very quiet, adding some atmospheric effect to the calming emptiness. The town is the lowest settlement in elevation in North America. Besides the local American Legion, the Ski Inn is the only drinking establishment or bar in the town.

Bombay Beach marks the southern end of the San Andreas Fault. A berm now protects the west end of the town from fluctuating water levels. Portions of the town beyond that however were not so lucky, as they now remain either submerged or half-buried in mud. Residents travel mostly by golf cart, since the nearest gas station is 20 miles away in Niland.

READ MORE ABOUT BOMBAY BEACH HERE

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Slab City:

As we continued south down the eastern side of the sea, we eventually hit Slab City. This city, also called The Slabs, is an unincorporated, off-the-grid community. The name comes from concrete slabs, which were left over after the World War II Marine Corps Camp Dunlap training camp was demolished. Slab City remains the last free place to live in the United States, but this might change soon, as California has begun looking into selling the land, possibly to energy companies. This could mark the end of Slab City, and make things even more difficult for the people living there, leaving them with no place to live.

In slab city, you’ll find all kinds of people, from families who are facing difficult situations, to those who left the leisures of your standard lifestyle to voluntarily live off the grid. Among these people, you’ll meet former fugitives, lawyers, construction workers and even nomad travelers who call Slab City a refuge in the desert. People here live in cars, tents, buses, RVs and anything else they can piece together for themselves. In fact, when I visited, I talked to a resident that traded a big bag of weed for the trailer he resides in. Lucky for him, he scored the trailer from a former Slab City resident that decided it was time to move away, and was not interested in taking the trailer with him.

Over more recent years, a lot of commotion has erupted within the Slab City community, and now the state of California is looking to sell it. When I visited, I heard mixed feelings from a couple of residents, explaining to me how things used to be a bit different, and the community felt more tightknit. Not that it still isn’t that way for many, but there has definitely been a rise in criminal activity from people passing through; people who don’t truly want to be a part of the community, but thrive on the lawlessness that it provides.

Though the town is often referred to as “without any law, or rules,” it’s not entirely the case. The Imperial County Sheriff’s Department and the Niland Fire Department both provide services to the town, but receive nothing in return as the town is free of taxes. It does however take some time for the police or fire crews to arrive on the scene due to its remoteness.

The slogan “the last free place in America,” came from a man by the name of Builder Bill and Mike Bright. Builder Bill was a former construction worker who moved to Slab City after he lost his job. When he arrived in the Slabs, he built a music stage, which is still used today for entertainment purposes for residents, often for nightly talent shows or the yearly prom. Yes, Slab City has its own prom, and I think that’s wonderful.

Since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic began, lockdowns being enforced have halted a large amount of the tourism they’re used to seeing in Slab City. The city has suffered economically as most of their income comes from tourists. With no running water, sewage or even trash pickup, hygiene is a whole different struggle in the desert, and has become increasingly stressful for everyone during this time. Even more stressful is that the nearest hospital is over 40 minutes away by car. In may 2020, 55 of 417 residents tested positive for the coronavirus. Unfortunately, not all residents are taking the virus seriously, which has impacted the way they are operating today. Slab City resident Indie Jones has to turn people away, rather than provide water or a meal like they would normally be able to.

One of the largest art pieces situated in this stretch of desert, Salvation Mountain, has been closed by the Board of Directors during the pandemic, which has also put a big halt on donations needed to maintain and create art and live. Though it has been stressful for residents, some are managing to adapt to the changes, and hopefully things can go back to normal sooner rather than later. I’d truly hate to see people’s lives and creations fall apart.

The city is without rent, and without zoning laws, and residents hope to keep it that way, but with the threat of a sale, many residents have been tossing around the idea of banding together to purchase the town themselves. Though even if this were to happen, it would most likely result in the need for landlords, and other dealings in money that most residents want to stay away from. Living in Slab City is about being detached from anything like that, and it would ruin the true meaning of the place, and why it was created in the first place. 

While some willingly choose Slab City’s off-the-grid lifestyle and enjoy the freedom they have living here, others ended up here often due to unforeseen circumstances, and are no longer able to afford to live “on the grid.” For these people, adjusting to life here is much more difficult. Some of these people are even parents with children who continue to attend schools outside of Slab City in neighboring communities. For families, it’s hard without running water or an electrical grid. 

It’s hard to say where things are going to end up for Slab City, but it’s truly one of the most wonderfully unique places I’ve visited, and I would hate to see it sold. I’d hate to see people forced out, and I would hate to see the art destroyed. 

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East Jesus and West Satan:

Speaking of the art out here, this brings us right into East Jesus.

East Jesus, while technically part of Slab City, is really its own art installation in the middle of nowhere, built from the numerous creations of many artists from around the world, or those living in the Slabs, melding together to create a sort of permanent Burning Man in the California desert. Visiting here was like a mixture of stepping into a Dali painting, spiced up with a bit of Cyberpunk, Fallout, and Grand Theft Auto (seeing as how the desert is based on this area) all rolled into one. In fact, if you’ve played Grand Theft Auto V enough, you’ll know that Salvation Mountain (the place where Kesha’s music video for her song, Praying was filmed) actually exists within the video game out in the Grand Senora desert.

It’s truly wild out here. Walking through this massive outdoor free roam, partially interactive art museum of sorts will have you wandering for hours looking between every nook and cranny, finding one new thing after another until the sun goes down. Well, that’s what I did anyway, and I still missed a lot of it. It’s almost abstract, the way it all comes together in the middle of the desert, as if completely randomly, but it’s all for a reason. 

From golden toilets to massive elephants made of tires, and even a tribute to the Brave Little Toaster, you’ll find such an incredibly diverse mix of art it will have you unable to look away. Burnt out cars, bottle walls and who could forget the television wall? I could go on and on, but the story of East Jesus and of course West Satan will both be saved for a later blog post.

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