The final research project for UCLA UP 221, created by Maggie Seay, Tiffany Rivera, Miriam Bar-Zemer, and Seth Reichert
In our final report we explore the recent history of water level trends, energy sector development, population trends, and public health in the area surrounding the Salton sea. This report can be found in the form of a story map.
The clean code and notebooks used to create these visuals can be found in the final folder of our repository.
Note: Some data, such as the NLCD land cover data is to large to track with GitHub and as such has been used locally, these files can be made available upon request.
Terminal lakes have been particularly susceptible to climate change and drought in recent years, with many on the verge of drying up. As these lakes dry, there can be many environmental and health impacts on the nearby populations. The Salton sea provides an example of how these terminal lakes are impacted by both climate change and industry, and how the consequences these changes can have on local communities.
What are the impacts of drought and climate change on the Salton Sea? How have these environmental changes impacted the nearby populations?
Our spatial scope includes the immediate area of the Salton Sea, which is situated between including Riverside and Imperial counties. We are exploring data from 2000 onwards because that is the data available.
What are the environmental realities and concerns? What are the land uses in the areas around the Salton Sea and competing interests? How are these environmental changes affecting the health of local populations? What is the population that is affected by these changes?
- Census/ACS population variables (present day and over time)
- Quarterly Water Quality Surveys - Salton Sea - Department of Fish and Wildlife
- EPA Air Quality Data (present day and over time)
- US Drought Monitor by USDA
- Calenviroscreen
- Open street maps
- National Land Cover Database (NLCD, provided by USGS)
- Public Health Data
Maps Created:
- Regional Drought Levels 2018-2023
- Power Plants current
- Waterways
- Asthma Rates
- Health Insurance
- Land Cover 2004-2019
- Water Loss 2004-2019
Planned Maps:
- Cancer Rates
- Heat-Related Illness
- Employment types
- Neighborhood level population changes
The Salton Sea is a great case study to analyze due to multiple factors that created the severity of the situation, continue to feed environmental degradation, and opportunites to manage and restore ecological and public health.