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CA 18. Salton Sea Wetlands. Acreage: 10,000 estimated. 



Location: Imperial County; Frink and Calipatria quadrangles; 15 miles N of 

 Brawley; reached via Rt. 86 and Rt. Ill from Indio. 



Description: The Salton Sea is a dry desert basin inundated by the Colorado 

 River in the early 1900s and now maintained by irrigation run-off. It is the only- 

 place in the United States with fisheries for Anisotremus davidsoni and Cynoscion 

 xanthulus. It also contains the rather rare Cyprinodon macularius, as well as a 

 host of exotic fishes. The wetlands at the southern end of the lake are an impor- 

 tant waterfowl sanctuary, notably during the winter. The Salton Sea National 

 Wildlife Refuge and the Imperial Wildlife Area have been established along its 

 shores and along the bottoms of the New and Alamo rivers. 



References: The ecology of the Salton Sea, California, in relation to the sport 

 fishery. California Department of Fish and Game, Fish Bulletin No. 1 13. 



Encroachments: Although increasing residential development and use of 

 agricultural pesticides may affect the ecology, the main problem is one of 

 rapidly increasing salinity because of a very high rate of evaporation on a shal- 

 low basin. 



Ownership: BSFW, state of California, and private. 



Data source: Alan M. McCready, 2510 Rogue River Dr., Sacramento, Cal. 

 95826. 



Other knowledgeable persons: Dr. Alex Calhoun, California Department of Fish 

 and Game, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento, Cal. 95814 



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Calipatria 



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Westmoreland 



