Original Article From: Extraordinary Intelligence

Movies, television, and even video games try to give us a taste of what would become of our civilization were an apocalyptic event to diminish our population and break down the communities that we currently take for granted.   But one doesn’t need to escape to fantasy realms to witness such wastelands.  There are a few places on Earth where humanity can catch a glimpse at what the World would look like after we’re gone.

In 1905, heavy rainfall and snow melt caused the Colorado River to swell, flooding the headgates of the Alamo canal.   A massive error in engineering diverted these waters into one of the lowest land basins in the United States. Eventually, the water breached dikes, flooded golf courses, and joined with the waters of the New River and Alamo River.

Over the course of two years, workers tried to stop the flow of these newly formed rivers, but were unsuccessful.  The water continued to flow, and ended up carrying the entire volume of the Colorado River into the Salton Sink (former site of a major salt mining operation).  The town of Salton and Torres-Martinez Indian land were utterly submerged.  The confluence of water filled the entirety of the basin, forming what became known as the Salton Sea.  The 1929 construction of the Hoover Dam finally stopped the flooding of the valley, but the newly formed Sea remained.  It is California’s largest inland body of water, which is even visible from Space.

While the Sea had caused many problems for the area, it also created many opportunities.  Having such a lush body of water in the middle of the desert sparked ideas for contractors and entrepreneurs.   In the 1950′s communities were developed all around the beaches of the Sea, and lavish resorts were constructed.   What was the result of human error became a living paradise for vacationers, tourists, and residents.

The most ambitious development was Salton City.  250,000 lots, 250 miles of roads, swimming pools, hotels, churches, schools, golf courses, yacht clubs, and more were designed for the area, and it became an instant success.  Bus loads of people came in to view this new Mecca in the desert, and by 1964, some 15,000 lots were sold.  The city eventually planned for an airport, parks, fancy hotels and more.

Movie stars and Pop music idols frequented the resorts of the Salton Sea.  Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and scores of other famous faces could regularly be seen sunning themselves on the Salton beaches or dining in one of the Salton’s lavish restaurants.

To find out what became of the Salton Sea, and the surrounding communities, as well as photos and a short documentary, click here:

http://extraordinaryintelligence.com/4907/environment/the-salton-sea-desert-miracle-to-haunting-wasteland/

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