What's the smell in Southern California??-Maddie Ash

    A strong sulfurous smell swept across Southern California on Monday. Investigators hurried to find the source and determined it was most likely from the Salton Sea, a large saltwater lake southeast of Los Angeles. The sea is dying because of increased salinity and is expected to shrink and become even saltier. This will severely impact wildlife living in and around the Salton Sea. At 200 feet below sea level, the sea is about one-third saltier than the ocean. "The sea had a fish die-off within the past week and that, combined with strong storms in the area late Sunday, could have churned up the water and unleashed bacteria from the sea floor that caused the stench," said Janis Dawson of the Salton Sea Authority. Officials say that the smell does not pose a threat to residents' health. The stench began to dissipate as winds picked up Monday afternoon and evening.
 
   Because of the increased salinity, the oxygen content in the water is lower. Fish cannot survive if there is little oxygen in their habitat, so the fish in the Salton Sea are dying. If the salt content continues to increase, wildlife will have a harder time of surviving, which causes a dent in surrounding ecosystems.


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