Salton Sea

Salton Sea, lake, southern California, in the Salton Basin. It was formed between 1905 and 1907, when the Colorado River broke through an embankment near Yuma, Arizona, and overflowed into California. The lake at first covered an area of approximately 1,165 sq km (approximately 450 sq mi) and had a maximum depth of 20 m (67 ft), but its area has since decreased by at least one-third through evaporation. The floor of the Salton Sea is approximately 85 m (approximately 280 ft) below sea level; it was originally a salt marsh, and the water of the lake is saline.