On the Salton Sea in the Colorado Desert in California, directly on the San Andreas Fault, the city of Bombay Beach is an abandoned relic of the American Dream gone wrong.
A population of around 250 remain, living in wooden shacks and trailers. In recent times artists have created sculptures from some of the decaying structures, and graffiti is widespread. As is the stench of sulphur and dead fish, a potent combination.
Formed by an engineering accident in the early twentieth century, the Colorado River overflowing into the Salton Basin (some 70m below sea level) the Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. Not far from the Mexican border, tourism here is now mostly due to morbid curiosity, unlike the nearby cities of Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and Indio, home of the annual Coachella music festival. But in the 50's and 60's the lake was popular with families and fishermen from metro areas like LA and San Diego. It wasn't to last. Increasing salinity killed the fish, the settlers fled and the tourists went elsewhere. Even now, almost 50 years, later you still get a crunch under your feet when you walk on the beach.
I took a detour on our drive from Scottsdale Arizona to San Diego last month to spend an hour capturing the desolation of Bombay Beach. 100F, no wind, no shade, it was akin to standing on the edge of "the fiery furnaces of hell". (First published in June 2018).
