Breaking Point - The Salton Sea
One of the worst ecological disasters in U.S. history is rapidly approaching, a casualty of drought and the “water wars” in the Southwest. The Salton Sea, California's largest lake, is disappearing.
The award-winning film Breaking Point, which documents the looming disaster, will be presented at the January 3, 2017 meeting of the San Gorgonio Chapter. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. Breaking Point is a 2014 film by Bill Wisneski of Palomar College Television.
Breaking Point mixes dramatic aerial images of the lake and close-ups of its shores with commentary from scientists, government officials and local residents to present the history of the Salton Sea, the missed opportunities that have plagued the Sea for decades, and the current options for saving it, which will likely cost billions of dollars.
As Breaking Point reveals, large swaths of lake bed are already exposed and salt levels drastically increased due to mandated water transfers to metropolitan areas along the California coast and other factors that limit water inflow.
If no action is taken in the next few years, rising salinity will cause the deaths of 100 million fish, eliminating the main food source for hundreds of species of migratory birds -- the second-greatest diversity of bird species in the United States. The National Audubon Society considers the Salton Sea a bird site of global significance.
There would also be substantial human impact. After years of agricultural runoff into the Sea, the lake bed is toxic, with high levels of arsenic, selenium, and traces of the pesticide DDT. As the lake recedes, massive toxic dust storms will threaten the health of millions of people living in surrounding communities, including as far away as Los Angeles.
"Absolutely fantastic! [Breaking Point] nailed the complexity of the Sea with great visual artwork! Very compelling. Best video I have seen yet on the Salton Sea," said Dr. Timothy Krantz, Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Redlands.
Breaking Point is the winner of four Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards, including Documentary Program. The film received the Audience Choice Award for best full length documentary at the Oceanside International Film Festival and the Best of Festival Award at the Julian Film Festival. It has been an official selection at many film festivals, including the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York.
