The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake by surface area, is experiencing an increasing rate of shoreline retreat following a policy change that shifted more water from the Colorado River to San Diego, according to a newly published study. The resulting dried lakebed is creating more polluted dust from dried agricultural runoff that affects nearby communities, researchers said.

Researchers forecast that parts of the Salton Sea’s North Shore are expected to retreat 150 meters by 2030 and an additional 172 meters by 2041 given the current rate of retreat.

The average rate of retreat between 2002 and 2017 rose from 12.5 meters a year to nearly 38.5 meters per year after 2018. “[W]ithout mitigation, the expanding exposed playa around the Salton Sea is expected to worsen pollutant exposure in local communities,” the study stated.

The study was conducted as a community science program involving local youth and other residents using balloon mapping to record images of coastline.

“This research was a direct response to a request from the community, which wanted to be involved in impactful research questions to understand shoreline reduction,” said Ryan Sinclair, PhD, MPH, associate professor of environmental microbiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and primary investigator of the study. “The community wants to be able to live next to a Salton Sea that they’re proud of.”

Sign up for the Daily Dose Newsletter and get every morning’s best science news from around the web delivered straight to your inbox? It’s easy like Sunday morning.

Sinclair said balloon mapping can cover a larger area compared to using drones, which need to be recharged.

IMAGE CREDIT: Loma Linda University