The Ledge - Salton Sea, California

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Salton Sea, California

I have been on a business trip to Los Angeles and had a couple of free days. I didn’t have anything planned but have been working on some photographs for something I was invited to contribute to in Chicago. I need to submit some photographs on the theme of age/decay. So I headed down interstate 10 to Salton Sea, a place I had visited some years ago. For non Californians and maybe non Americans it may be worth just mentioning some history about the place. It was created in the early 20th century as a result of flooding and became one of the largest lakes (not sure why it is called a sea) in the US. At one time it was home to an incredible ecosystem and hotels/towns were built around it. However, over the years, the salt content of the water has increased to such an extent that a lot of the fish have died and therefore the wildlife that lived on the fish have disappeared too. This has meant that the tourist industry has fallen off and there are many disused hotels/building around the Sea. There still are some beautiful areas left but I was setting out to capture some of the decaying structures. So if you are planning a day out – it really doesn’t look like this everywhere. I’ll probably use a couple of these photographs in a black and white version, but these will give you a sense of what I saw. It was interesting for me because I wouldn’t normally photograph this sort of thing. Hopefully one or two of you may find these interesting. (10 pics in this post - 6 in the next)

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt31.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt33.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt64.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ea/salt130.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt68.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt78.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt94.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...Sea/salt95.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ea/salt109.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ea/salt111.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews (Post 756286)

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ea/salt109.jpg

You always take such stunning photos. They all tell a story. Did you at least fill up your tank while you were there? $1.57...wow!

Drowning In The Sea of Love

Have You Any Dreams You'd Like to Sell

Sheryl Crow's Tour Bus

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan (Post 756312)

Sheryl Crow's Tour Bus

:laugh::thumbsup:

These are amazing photos. The whole thing reminds me of Terminator 2:Judgement day. I expected Arnoldd and linda hamilton to run through at any minute.

great photos!!!:thumbsup:~

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beachwood Mac (Post 756308)

Did you at least fill up your tank while you were there? $1.57...wow!

I burst out laughing when I saw that sign as it was so like the one BretonBanquet had in his sig during that classic fuel price thread many months ago. It was the one where Irishgrl thought that because a dollar was worth two British pounds that gas was half as expensive in the UK. It still makes me laugh today when I think about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

Sheryl Crow's Tour Bus

:laugh:

It's very apocalyptic. Beautiful in a way, but eerie.

Wow I was just browsing thru Google Earth and was looking at this place on there just before I saw this thread. weird

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix (Post 756314)

:laugh::thumbsup:

These are amazing photos. The whole thing reminds me of Terminator 2:Judgement day. I expected Arnoldd and linda hamilton to run through at any minute.

I can just hear Arnold now:

I NEED A VACATION!!!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMn (Post 756385)

I can just hear Arnold now:

I NEED A VACATION!!!!!!!

:laugh: Or better yet, you know how now he does those adds like where him and Maria Are like "COME TO CALIFORNIA!!!" they should totally pose at this place:lol:

Beautiful pics, Wil! The Salton Sea region is the cradle of the southernmost end of the San Andreas fault zone, & yet I haven't explored the area since I was about 5 years old (when I did a great deal of my seismological exploration).

Did you guys ever see THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD? An earthquake in the Salton Sea unleashes a horde of prehistoric mollusk monsters, which get into the canal system in the Imperial Valley & terrorize the residents.

The film is a masterpiece, & I do not use that honorific lightly & carelessly or even faddishly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews (Post 756286)

However, over the years, the salt content of the water has increased to such an extent that a lot of the fish have died and therefore the wildlife that lived on the fish have disappeared too.

You missed a point...the salt content has risen because the lake/sea is evaporating and the water level has receded to the point of sodium toxicity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylittledemon (Post 756353)

It's very apocalyptic. Beautiful in a way, but eerie.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Or better yet, you know how now he does those adds like where him and Maria Are like "COME TO CALIFORNIA!!!" they should totally pose at this place

I feel a bit bad now that I have made California look like something from a Mad Max film:laugh:. Some places were really beautiful - honest!

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

You missed a point...the salt content has risen because the lake/sea is evaporating and the water level has receded to the point of sodium toxicity.

Thanks for making that point. The reasons for the problem seemed a bit conflicting from what I had read. Some environmentalists were saying that the Sea is fed by water that has 'run off' argricultural land and because of the use of chemicals on the land, it had been washed into the sea, killing the fish. Your point makes much more sense.