Throughout the Spanish period of California's history the area was referred to as the 'Colorado Desert' after the Rio Colorado (Colorado River) - 'red colored river'. In the 1853/55 railroad survey, it was called 'The Valley of the Ancient Lake'. On several old maps from the Library of Congress, it has been found labeled 'Cahuilla Valley' (after the local Indian tribe) and 'Cabazon Valley' (after a local Indian chief - Chief Cabazon). 'Salt Creek' first shows up on a map in 1867 and 'Salton Station' is on a railroad map from 1900 although this place had been there as a rail stop since the late 1870's. The name 'Salton' appears to be from the fact that they had been mining salt in the area at least as early as 1815. After that, the general area is referred to as the 'Salton Sink' or the 'Salton Basin'.

The Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when, while trying to cut a new irrigation channel into the banks of the Colorado River (the old channels had filled with silt) there were several unexpected, unseasonable floods that caused the entire Colorado River to pour into the basin. The breach was filled by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in 1907 and the sea has been maintained by agricultural runoff ever since.

Within historical times, water has been present in the Salton Basin more often than not. Radiocarbon dates from marsh deposits and archaeological sites around the lake indicate from three to four major infillings over the last 1300 years, each lasting for up to several hundred years. The accident that caused the Salton Sea was in fact an attempt by the California Development Company to dig a new diversion canal after repeated complaints from the farmers of insufficient water in their sediment clogged irrigation ditches. The sea is now a vital resource to migrating birds whose wetland habitats have now been reduced by over 90%.

External links to other web sites with information on the Salton Sea.