In the 1960s, Hollywood flocked to its shores. Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and the Beach Boys partied at the lake. But by 1985, the tourist industry was over and the heyday of Old Hollywood was gone.

Just a short drive south of Palm Springs, you’ll find California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea.

Back in its heyday, hundreds of thousands of people visited the area, attracting more visitors than Yosemite Park at the time. Fishing, water-skiing and boat-racing reigned on high, earning the lake the nickname “the fastest body of water.” One area on the western part of the lake, Salton City, became a hot spot for luxury living development.

These days, if you travel along the increasingly shrinking shorelines, you’ll see suffering communities dotted with abandoned homes and lined with silent streets.

What happened to the Salton Sea? How did it go from a true desert oasis to California’s largest environmental calamity?

KESQ, The News Press & Gazette’s ABS affiliate in Palm Springs, examined the history of the lake and what needs to be done to save it in a half-hour special, Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project. The special earned the station an Edward R. Murrow Regional Award for News Series in the Small Market Television category for its region.

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