The Salton Sea in Southern California has been deteriorating for quite some time, and a group of researchers uncovered the detrimental impact of the continued erosion.
What's happening?
A study published earlier this summer in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics by researchers from San Diego State University, University of California, Davis, and Arizona State University explained that desert winds can stir up dust created from the drying of the Salton Sea's exposed lakebed, which leads to increased air pollution in nearby communities.
SDSU detailed the process: "The researchers modeled lakebed exposure by dividing the lake's shoreline into one square kilometer grids and analyzed daily air pollution data from 1998 to 2018." As the lakebed became more exposed, populations near the sea were more vulnerable to increased dust particles than those farther away.
"What we find is that historically disadvantaged communities are receiving the brunt of this air pollution," co-author Ryan Abman, associate professor of economics at SDSU, said.
In addition to the ongoing drying of the Salton Sea due to our changing climate, water diversion to San Diego has also played a major role in diminishing the sea level.
"Farmers started capturing the water that would run off and otherwise recharge the lake with the unanticipated consequence of starting to reduce the water level, which has important environmental implications," Abman said.
Why is this important?
Dust pollution is becoming an increasingly significant issue in our atmosphere, and this situation is no different. Pollution paths of fine particulate matter that can cause asthma, heart problems, and other respiratory issues were found to stretch as much as 100 miles or more away from the Salton Sea.
"We have a dusty area, and any time there is wind, it's going to pick up dust and move it around," co-author Eric Edwards, assistant professor of agricultural economics at the University of California, Davis, said.
The continued erosion of the Salton Sea is particularly concerning, as SDSU noted that the "reductions increased the lake's already high salt content, which also harmed wildlife habitats and created localized air pollution."
The Salton Sea isn't alone in facing diminishing water levels due to rising temperatures. The Great Salt Lake in Utah has also dealt with reduced water levels and increased salinity caused by water diversion and the changing climate. The exposed lakebeds can be harmful to wildlife and increase air and water pollution.
What's being done about this?
SDSU noted that the area around the Salton Sea "is the subject of many environmental restoration projects."
Edwards suggested that these revelations should influence policymakers to consider the impacts of water diversion on the environment and human health when making future decisions.
"The drying up of the Salton Sea has serious health consequences that have generally fallen on more disadvantaged populations, who may not be well equipped to advocate for policies that improve their health," Edwards said.
Abman echoed those sentiments, adding, "What we hope comes out of this research is that we pay more attention to the air pollution effects that these agricultural policy decisions have."
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