Sunday, August 23, 2026

Question: In 1905, engineers trying to irrigate a Southern California desert valley lost control of the Colorado River, which poured into a dry basin for a year and a half. What large body of water did the accident create?

Answer: The Salton Sea. An irrigation project built to bring Colorado River water to the Imperial Valley failed during a 1905 flood, sending nearly the entire river into the Salton Basin. Crews finally returned the river to its normal course in 1907, leaving behind the large lake we know today as the Salton Sea.