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
Travel Argentina's nostalgic Ruta 40 through the famed wine capital of Mendoza.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Travel from the mountains of Colombia to the extreme southern tip of the country.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Visit Ceará, home to Brazil's most important religious shrine.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Discover Wyoming's largest mountain range, The Wind River Range.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Cross the Río Colorado on Ruta 40 through a volcanic landscape amidst a vast desert.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
David Yetman and Dan Duncan sample as many products of hop production as possible.

26:46
Visit the archaeological sites, rainforests and marine life of Belize with David Yetman.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Discover two of Alaska’s vast national parks, Lake Clark and Katmai.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Visit the remote city of Cuetzalan where past traditions and languages continue today.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Jump into Recife’s carnival, for a week of parades, dancing and elaborate costumes.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Discover Nicaragua and its diversity of cultures and natural wonders.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Visit Lake Superior, the largest lake in the world and the coldest towns in the Americas.