The Salton Sea

[mstng86]

Doesn't Michigan have something similar?

[Scott Mc]

Its called Detroit....

[YALE]

Its called Detroit....

Hey-oh!

[stevo]

After watching a documentary about the Salton Sea on one of the cable networks, I spent a few hours on youtube jumping from one video to the next.

The shit about Slab City is intriguing and disturbing at the same time.

Stevo

[Strychnine]

The craziest part about it is the actual creation. The breach started just a 600 feet wide and by the time it was plugged it was 10 miles wide.

In the two years that the river was (unintentionally) being diverting here Southern Pacific had to actually move its rail lines a few times because the water kept taking them out - so after a couple failed govt attempts the railroad eventually stepped up and were the major player in actually stopping the river.

They built a rail trestle over the break in the dikes and brought in train after train after train, (literally all rail traffic in and out of LA was stopped for two weeks to accommodate this) parked them on the trestle and started dumping thousands of carloads of rock and gravel into the breach.


Two other random facts:

The crew of the Enola Gay used the Salton Sea as a target on a few practice runs so if/when it ever dries up some treasure hunters could find some dummy Little Boys out there.

There was even a "Salton Sea 500" powerboat endurance race there once.

[Sean88gt]

That's some wild shit. Can't believe how many people still live in the area.

[CJ]

The craziest part about it is the actual creation. The breach started just a 600 feet wide and by the time it was plugged it was 10 miles wide.

In the two years that the river was (unintentionally) being diverting here Southern Pacific had to actually move its rail lines a few times because the water kept taking them out - so after a couple failed govt attempts the railroad eventually stepped up and were the major player in actually stopping the river.

They built a rail trestle over the break in the dikes and brought in train after train after train, (literally all rail traffic in and out of LA was stopped for two weeks to accommodate this) parked them on the trestle and started dumping thousands of carloads of rock and gravel into the breach.

I see, so what you're saying is the government couldn't fix the problem so a private company had to step in and do it?

Overall the whole thing is pretty damn cool. I always found this error/miracle fascinating.

[stevo]

That's some wild shit. Can't believe how many people still live in the area.

Considering the oppressiveness of the government of California, I'm surprised at how the squatters are allowed to live on the federal land unregulated.

Stevo

[Frank]

After watching a documentary about the Salton Sea on one of the cable networks, I spent a few hours on youtube jumping from one video to the next.

The shit about Slab City is intriguing and disturbing at the same time.

Stevo

Yeah, I find that whole thing about Slab City intriguing.

[JP135]

I see, so what you're saying is the government couldn't fix the problem so a private company had to step in and do it?

That's crazy talk. The government can fix anything!

[cobrajet69]

Not only is Lake Tahoe inhabitable, it's the clearest (and coldest, mind you) water that I've ever been in!

Try Arrowhead.




David

[Hobie]

I remember going near there when I rode with a friend delivering aircraft parts to So Cal. I told him I wanted to go there one day. He said don't bother, it stinks like dead fish.

So is that what meth labs smell like or was it the actual dead fish? Shit, if it was 77 that was likely a long time before it was all meth'd out.

[ceyko]

Great, something else I knew nothing about and will spend time reading about it.

[Chili]

I've spent time in the area around it, but never actually made it to the shore or anything. It's a cool area for offroading / dirtbikes (Glamis is a big recreation area). This is from the last time we were out there:

Out on a ride with a big group, we stopped for a break at an oasis. Leah's son and I were on bikes, Leah was on a quad, and my son and Leah's daughter were in side by sides:


Aly getting strapped in:


Leah's son:


Although you can't see it in this pic, this was a break we took next to a cave. The route we took to the cave spent some time on soft sand (through a wash) and Leah's son was having some difficulty riding the bike on soft sand so she was giving him some pointers: