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Outrage as California vacation spot beloved by Hollywood stars is now plagued by horrendous stench - as 'toxic dust' sparks health fears
A popular California vacation spot once frequented by the likes of Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis is now being plagued by a suspicious stench.
The Golden State's largest lake is shrinking at an alarming rate - causing it to become saltier and dustier while producing a strong egg-like odor in the process.
Salton Sea, home to once-coveted resorts like Coachella Valley, Mecca and Bombay Beach, is now being described by visitors as a 'briny bog of despair' which 'smells like death'.
'The smell is atrocious!' one tourist wrote on TripAdvisor. 'Something between a sewage plant and a pile of roadkill from the stagnant waters backing up along the "sea" and its tiny bay.'
Another described Salton Sea as 'Satan's favorite hellhole'. 'Imagine if you will, the hottest most disgusting desert, only a few feet from the most disgusting smelling dirtiest water you've ever beheld,' they said.
A popular California vacation spot once frequented by the likes of Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis is now being plagued by a suspicious stench
One person described Salton Sea as 'Satan's favorite hellhole'. 'Imagine if you will, the hottest most disgusting desert, only a few feet from the most disgusting smelling dirtiest water you've ever beheld,' they said
Researcher Caroline Hung told DailyMail.com the Golden State's largest lake is shrinking at an alarming rate - causing it to become saltier and dustier while producing a strong odor in the process
'The history behind it is interesting, but not interesting enough to stifle the rotting fish smell that you will be smelling for weeks after your visit.'
A recent study by researchers at UC Riverside unpicked the science behind the stink - while revealing that the odor has become a year-long issue for residents.
Caroline Hung, who helped pen the study, told DailyMail.com the stench is caused by the lake dramatically shrinking in size over the past few years, combined with an increase in pollutants, fertilizer and algal blooms beneath the surface.
Hung, a PhD Candidate at the Lyons Biogeochemistry lab in UC Riverside's Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, described Salton Sea as a 'terminal lake' because water only exits through evaporation.
In fact, the Golden State's largest lake was created by accident in 1905 when the Colorado River swelled, breached its levees and flooded into the Salton Sink desert valley.
The sunny surrounding area was soon transformed into a vacation location by developers who built up the shoreline with resorts, hotels, yacht clubs and more.
In the 1950s, thousands flocked to vacation there, including celebrities like Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys. At one point, it was the most visited destination in the state - beating out Yosemite National Park.
But by the 1970s it was in decline due to a lack of rainfall and increasing temperatures.
The Golden State's largest lake is shrinking at an alarming rate - causing it to become saltier and dustier while producing an interesting odor in the process
Fast-forward to 2024, and the Salton Sink has become a Salton Stink. The lake has dropped 10 feet over the last 20 years, while it regularly reaches temperatures of 97F in the summer.
Hung said the smell is the result of algae producing hydrogen sulfide - a gas which smells like eggs - as it decays.
Researcher Caroline Hung at Salton Sea
In a standard lake, thermal layers naturally trap the worst of these odors well below the surface.
'When algae die, their decay consumes oxygen as they sink through the water column,' Hung explained.
'This process depletes dissolved oxygen, especially in the lake's deeper layers. In the oxygen-starved bottom waters, anaerobic bacteria thrive.
'These microorganisms use sulfate reduction for energy, producing sulfide as a byproduct.
'Sulfide accumulates in the bottom waters until lake mixing events, such as turnover or upwelling, release it into the air.
'This release creates the characteristic rotten egg smell often associated with the Salton Sea.'
Hung said the increase in algae was prompted by an increase in 'excessive nutrients' in the lake in the form of fertilizers and pesticides from nearby farms.
The diminishing oxygen levels have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem - with millions of fish washing up dead on the beaches every week
Salton Sea, home to once-popular resorts like Coachella Valley, Mecca and Bombay Beach, is now being described by visitors as a 'briny bog of despair' which 'smells like death'
She said that the stink level is double California's official 30 parts per billion 'odor standard' for sulfide - with the lake's readings hitting up to 70 parts per billion.
But the sulfide levels are still 'a magnitude lower than the parts per million levels that would pose direct toxicity to humans,' according to Hung.
'The impact on aquatic life, however, has been far more severe,' she said.
Millions of fish began perishing in the Salton Sea in the 1990s, leading to local extinctions of entire species.
'The mass die-offs were primarily caused by anoxia (lack of oxygen) and euxinia (high sulfide conditions) in the water,' Hung said.
In turn, birds which relied on the aquatic life in the waters, like American White Pelicans and tiny Eared Grebes have now also deserted Salton Sea's shores.
Salton City resident Elaine Loreto told DailyMail.com that the local government 'doesn't care' about the stinking lake despite the misery it is causing.
'Kids from our local schools have written letters, health organizations have petitioned the state governor to do something,' she said.
'It has been brought up to the governor's desk for funding to push for it to get filled and he keeps denying it.
'Every year more and more children and adults in the area are being diagnosed with breathing related problems like asthma.'
The scent which permeates the air and blights the lives of everyone within a couple mile radius of the odoriferous lake is even driving some residents out
Salton Sea, home to once-popular resorts like Coachella Valley, Mecca and Bombay Beach, is now being described by visitors as a 'briny bog of despair' which 'smells like death'
Salton Sea, home to once-popular resorts like Coachella Valley, Mecca and Bombay Beach, is now being described by visitors as a 'briny bog of despair' which 'smells like death'
Lisa Clark, who lives in Niland - a town of 500 people close to the lake - is among the asthmatics who have reported their conditioning worsening thanks to the lake.
'I've been having very bad asthma lately,' she told the LA Times, adding that her household medical bills have doubled since moving to the area.
'It's getting worse, and my husband's been experiencing the same effect. Our health seems [to be] declining.'
The persistent odor which plagues the nostrils of everyone within a couple mile radius of the lake is even driving some residents away.
'I might have to move because of the smell,' Jessica Perez, a 22-year-old receptionist in Mecca, told local paper Desert Sun.
'It's definitely getting worse. I've been here like forever, and I like living here, but I don't know if I can stay.'
South Coast Air Quality Management District frequently issues 'odor advisory' for H2S - the rotten-egg smelling gas which wafts off the lake.
Scott Epstein, who oversees air quality assessments for the agency, recommended measures as dramatic as wearing Covid-style masks to stave off the stench.
He also advised residents to stay inside with their windows and doors closed, minimize heavy outdoor exertion, and running an air purifier through their home.
But there is a sliver of hope for the future - Hung said lithium deposits which lurk a mile below the Salton Sea could one day provide a solution.
Silicon Valley tycoons have been mining the mineral for use in electric car batteries, and as workers move to the area it will draw Salton Sea issues into the spotlight.
But this will be a lengthy process. For now, Hung is advocating for 'nature-based solutions' to clean up the lake, including placing wetlands at river mouths to capture the odor-causing gases.
South Coast Air Quality Management District frequently issues 'odor advisory' for H2S - the rotten-egg smelling gas which wafts off the lake