Back to Show
In the America's with David Yetman
The Salton Sea: Life and death in an inland ocean
Season 10
Episode 1005
The Salton Sink has been home to the largest body of water in California for more than a thousand years. Three hundred years ago, it was Lake Cahuilla, a freshwater lake. Changing geology and extensive industrial agriculture have resulted in a very salty and polluted sea. Once a booming tourist mecca, drought, agriculture, and failed development have produced a nearly dead body of water.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Explore the world's largest freshwater swamp, the Pantanal.

26:46
Learn everything about Francisco Eusebio Kino and the Mission San Xavier del Bac.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
In Mexico's southernmost state, David finds nations apart from mainstream Mexico.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
With distinct Afro-Cuban roots, Santiago de Cuba was once Cuba's most important city.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
More than any other of the contiguous United States, Oregon has been shaped by volcanoes.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
A hotbed of baseball, whalewatching, and a lively carnival, after years of turmoil.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
From a biosphere to a Costa Rican rainforest reserve, scientists observe climate change.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
The Pinacate Volcanic Range on the U.S.-Mexico border has a history of fire and brimstone.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Join researchers in Arizona and the Bahamas making startling climate change findings.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Mexico City’s rich cultural and ethnic history reflects this vibrant Latin American city.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Amazon oil means prosperity for Ecuador, but benefits for native peoples are less clear.

26:46
Revealing a Havana that was once off-limits, beyond the architectural first impression.