Mette Lampcov

Documentary Photographer

www.mettelampcov.com

- The Salton Sea faces a crisis

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A dock on a property on Oahu La...alton City, CA. Imperial county

A dock on a property on Oahu Lane sits reaching out into where the Salton Sea used to reach, now the sea barely visible in the distance . Iberian Wash, Salton City, CA. Imperial county

A Tilapia skeleton lays as a r...lt in increased sanity levels.

A Tilapia skeleton lays as a reminder of the huge die offs that are seen around the Salton sea. High algae blooms decrease the oxygen levels in the sea killing the fish: caused by a decrease of water entering the sea, rising temperatures and evaporation result in increased sanity levels.

Lizzette is playing on her bic...ood in Salton City.

Lizzette is playing on her bicycle as strong winds are blowing across her neighborhood in Salton City.

The Salton sea is a looming en...ash; bear the heaviest burden.

The Salton sea is a looming environmental and public health disaster. The Salton Sea’s shoreline is receding, exposing a dusty lakebed known as the “playa.” This sandy substance holds a century’s worth of agricultural runoff, including DDT, ammonia, possibly carcinogenic herbicides like trifluralin and other chemicals. Its windborne dust travels across Southern California and into Arizona, but nearby communities — many of them populated by Latino farmworkers — bear the heaviest burden.

Lizzette and her mum are playi...ng winds are whipping up dust.

Lizzette and her mum are playing after schools, at the family back yard, near Salton City. Her mum Miriam Juarez " Our kids are chronically ill, the toxic dust is of course affecting us" as strong winds are whipping up dust.

A farm worker is checking on an...rial County.CA. Imperial county

A farm worker is checking on an irrigation system Westmoreland, Imperial County.CA. Imperial county

Farm works picking broccoli nea...rial county.CA. Imperial county

Farm works picking broccoli near Westmoreland. Imperial county.CA. Imperial county

A field is being irrigated nea...fertilizer that feeds the sea.

A field is being irrigated near Coachella. This is the irrigations laced with fertilizer that feeds the sea.

Agricultural run off and drain...sential agricultural practice.

Agricultural run off and drainage is flowing to an already murky river heading toward the Salton sea. Agriculture run off is considered a major source of water for the sea.

While it’s not readily visible, leaching the soil of excess salts in arid and semi-arid regions is an essential agricultural practice.

Many people who work in agricu...yed with pesticides.

Many people who work in agriculture live in trailer parks, that is too often substandard housing, near fields spayed with pesticides.

Sebastian and Thalia brought t...Salton Sea for the first time.

Sebastian and Thalia brought their son junior form nearby Coachella, to see the Salton Sea for the first time.

When Martha has to go outside ... everyone gets sick "

When Martha has to go outside during storm days, she wears a dust mask " I just don't go outdoors on days its windy, I get to sick and can't breath" " she says' "we feel ignored between the toxic dust from the sea, the pesticides and fertilizers from the surrounding fields we are exposed too - everyone gets sick "

Chris Schoneman Project Leader...ating birds are gone"

Chris Schoneman Project Leader at The
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge stands looking out over a vast dried out lake bed area, with the current shore line way in the distance miles away

Christian: "This used to be one of the major bird migration routes and bird sanctuaries in America- next only to the Bay Delta and the Great Lakes- Now most of fish have died off due to high levels of salinity and all fish eating birds are gone"

Donna and Mike's house...with now outlet and drying up.

Donna and Mike's house reflects in the Canal they live next too- once filled with water part of the Salton sea they used to fish and boat and swim in - now there is nothing left but a stagnant smelly pool of water with now outlet and drying up.

A resident of Desert Shores ho...and boat in the sea.

A resident of Desert Shores holds a picture taken in 1996 showing where water levels used reach, people could then swim and boat in the sea.

Dead palms line Yacht club dri...the beaches of the Salton sea.

Dead palms line Yacht club drive and parking lot that used to be the access to the beaches of the Salton sea.

Miriam Jeremiz with her children Lizette and Lihan.

Lizzette shows of a school project about protecting the planet.

Children play in the play grou... difficulties and nose bleeds.

Children play in the play ground at the Salton City Sea View Elementary School. Children living near the sea both in the Coachella Valley and Impreal county have some of the highest levels of asthma in the country. As the frequent high winds whip up the exposed dust from playas, children complain of breathing difficulties and nose bleeds.

Birds reflected in the Salton S...sert Shores.CA. Imperial county

Birds reflected in the Salton Sea at sunset. The Salton Sea used to be the second most important bird migration stop on bird migration routes in California. Desert Shores.CA. Imperial county

A geothermal plant at the sout...r exploration and development.

A geothermal plant at the south eastern shore of the Salton Sea. More plants are planned as the sea keeps shrinking and more land becomes available for exploration and development.

The drought crisis on the Colorado River looms large in California’s Imperial Valley, which produces much of the nation’s lettuce, broccoli and other crops, and now faces water cuts. But those cuts will also be bad news for the environmental and ecological disaster unfolding just to the north, at the shallow, shimmering and long-suffering Salton Sea.

Wile at the same time Salton Sea’s shoreline is receding, exposing a dusty lakebed known as the “playa.” This sandy substance holds a century’s worth of agricultural runoff, including DDT, ammonia, possibly carcinogenic herbicides like trifluralin and other chemicals. Its windborne dust travels across Southern California and into Arizona, but nearby communities — many of them populated by Latino farmworkers — bear the heaviest burden.