The Salton Sea, California’s largest inland body of water, has a complex history rooted in natural processes and human activities. Originating from the ancient Lake Cahuilla, the lake today is due to accidental flooding from the Colorado River. Without a consistent water source after the Colorado River was redirected, the Salton Sea faces the same fate as its predecessor, Lake Cahuilla. Human interventions, such as agricultural runoff, have temporarily sustained the Salton Sea, but limited rainfall, rising temperatures, and high evaporation rates threaten its existence.