The Salton Sea Atlas is a comprehensive collection of maps and information about the Salton Sea, arranged with the intent to illustrate the environmental, cultural and ecological processes affecting the sea. Diagrams, text, photos, charts, and maps are used to document the social and physical history of the area, as well as the current state of the surrounding region. Innovative tools and methods, including geographic information systems (GIS) were used to communicate complex spatial relationships among principal factors influencing the sea. Researchers, scientists, and policy makers will use this information resource to make better-informed decisions about the fate of the sea and its natural environment.

California’s Salton Sea is a nexus of the forces of nature and the momentum of human civilization. Formed by the 1905 flooding of the Colorado River into a depression in the low Sonoran Desert, and believed by some observers to be temporary phenomenon destined to waste away, this great inland sea has nevertheless survived the 20th century and evolved into a rich and complex, yet fragile ecosystem, as well as the crown jewel of avian biodiversity in the state. As one of the nation’s most productive fishing spots and as a temporary home for literally hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, the sea is considered by many a vital natural resource worthy of protection. Steadily increasing runoff from large agricultural operations on the surrounding land, however, now threatens the delicate chemical balance of the sea, and, consequently, the entire ecosystem. These competing forces have set the stage for a political and environmental drama being played out in Congress, state and local governments, businesses and citizen organizations of every description—an exemplary drama for every one involved in one of the most important new battlegrounds of the 21st century: water.

The Salton Sea Atlas is the benchmark reference for the sea that brings together much of what is known about this complex and controversial environment. Groundbreaking in its visual presentation of the surprisingly interwoven story, the Atlas is also the most comprehensive scientific, historical, and physical representation of this unique region ever published. Using cutting-edge geographic information systems technology, vast (and otherwise unmanageable) amounts of data were transformed into multi-layered, multi-themed maps that are as visually compelling as they are revelatory of the hidden nature of the Sea and its landscape.

About the editor:

The Redlands Institute at the University of Redlands promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary research by providing a common organizational structure and associated technical facilities that support the development of partnerships, cross-cutting research themes, and educational outreach in the service of society’s greater good. Students and faculty from around the campus are enlisted in the cause of understanding environmental issues with serious local and global implications, and in the process engage in active, exploratory, real-world learning.