Three Coachella Valley High Schoolers kayaked across the Salton Sea Saturday to raise awareness about the social and ecological crisis unfolding as California's largest lake continues to shrink and toxic dust from its shores pollutes the air.
The trio of students got up around 4 a.m. Saturday, drove to Thermal and embarked on a journey to paddle the, approximately, 18 miles across the vast inland sea, which has a surface area of about 370 square miles spanning Riverside and Imperial counties.
Layton Jones, 17, her brother Clay, 16, and Evelyn Garcia, 17, hope to educate their fellow students across the Coachella Valley about how the lake's shores have been receding for nearly two decades as tributaries have been cut off and its water evaporates.
Evelyn Garcia gathered with the other two paddlers in the driveway of Salton City Mayor Carlene Ness, who kindly let them stow their kayak in her driveway before the trip. The craft needed to be fully inflated so Layton Jones manned a bike pump while her brother held the boat steady.
"I'm super excited," Layton Jones said between pumps, as her dad, Doug Jones, crawled under the kayak to ensure the skiff was properly inflating.
The three talked snacks: bananas, granola bars, oranges. Check. Evelyn had a plastic bag with towels and frozen water bottles wrapped in aluminum foil. They all said they slept well and were ready to launch as they affixed a banner to the boat reading: "Save Our Salton Sea."
"Did you spray?" Clay Jones asked Garcia handing her a bottle of spray-on sunscreen.
"Ya," Garcia said.
"I'm trying not to drink too much water," Clay Jones added trailing off, looking at the distance between shores as the trio considered the time it would take until they reached dry ground again.
Clay said the Salton Sea isn't his ideal place for a dip and all three said they intend to paddle out everything they paddled in.
The three summarize the lake'splight like this: as it shrinks, the toxic chemicals that have collected on the lakebed from decades of agricultural runoff become airborne and harmful to the humans and animals that breath it. As more lakebed is exposed, more toxins will become airborne, causing more harm to life and health.
'It will affect everyone in the valley'
Evelyn Garcia said that her neighbors in Thermal have suffered health problems because of poor air quality exacerbated by the growing volume of dust exposed on the lake's shore.
Thermal has a population of about 3,000 and nearby Mecca about 9,000, more than 95% of which is Latino, with a median household income around $24,000. Air quality in these communities is notoriously poor, impacting many with respiratory ailments, like asthma.
Local politicians have been laboring to draw state and federal funds to address the problem. U.S Rep. Raul Ruiz recently unveiled draft legislation called the Salton Sea Public Health and Environmental Protection Act. And California lawmakers recently called on the federal government to step in.
Even as Gov. Gavin Newsom has made bold moves to address the problem, state-level efforts to help stop the lake from shrinking have stalled as the California Natural Resources Agency revealed last month that they have been unable to find an analyst to study proposed solutions.
While Layton and Clay Jones go to Palm Desert High School and Evelyn Garcia goes to Desert Mirage High School in Thermal, the three say their concern for the sea should be shared by residents all over the valley.
As Layton Jones trimmed the ends of sun shade they made out of palm fronds to help stay cool amid the day's forecasted temperature of 102, she said she hopes more residents will pay closer attention to the sea's condition.
"I'd like them to know it will affect everyone in the valley," Jones said. "The wind will pick up and circulate toxic chemicals all over the place."
Layton Jones said she first learned about the Salton Sea when completing some required reading as an intern for Rep. Ruiz's office, a local politician who has long worked to publicize the sea's condition.
She said she intends to create a curriculum on the Salton Sea's condition for local students so they can learn more about how to ensure progress moving forward.
Doug and Tee Jones said they are proud of their son and daughter for taking on the kayaking challenge to bring awareness to what they see as a bipartisan issue impacting people all over the region.
"Everyone has to be all in, meaning all over the valley," Tee Jones said. "They hope to get more attention to the work being done by local politicians who have been fighting for this for a long time."
In addition to the mayor, several local residents showed up to help out and make sure the students knew they had their support.
Ron Spears, president of the nearby Bahia Del Mar property owner's association, said he was encouraged to hear about the journey. He's been working to raise awareness among state officials about the Salton Sea since the early 2000s.
"The people out here sure deserve to see something happen," Spears said. "They've been told by state officials over and over that something will be done."
Art Gertz, vice president of the property owner's association, shared similar sentiments after he helped the trio carry the boat down to the lake's shore.
"The good news is we have youngsters come in and they want to do the right thing," Gertz said. "They want to change things."
But talk of the distant future ceased as the three boarded the craft, Layton Jones in front, Garcia in the middle and Clay Jones, whom was described by his mom as "the muscle," in the back.
They were concentrated on the task at hand: to get safely to the Salton Sea State Recreation Area on the eastern shoreline before it gets too hot.
The three discussed their plan to turn only one cell phone on at a time to conserve the battery of the others in case they need it later. They had a GPS on boardand a radio for communication as a jet ski and a boat stood by in case they needed to be rescued.
The three have been practicing for months, taking trips to Lake Hemet to train, and took to the water with confidence.
But still, they laughed nervously as they began to float out, wondering if that same wind that blows toxins around the valley would help push them across the open water or fight them as they paddled against it.
"We just don't know what to expect from the wind," Layton Johnson said.
Doug Jones waded into the shallow water of the shore with a hand firmly on the loaded boat's stern, the sun's orange and pink ray's reflecting on the placid lake's surface. The wind seemed calm for now.
He walked them out about ten feet in his sandals and pointed at a series of ridges among the Orocopia Mountains and Mecca Hills in the distance.
"Head toward the middle of that mountain," he said, and pushed them off.
Some seven hours later, at just about 2 p.m., the three landed on the opposing shore tired but triumphant.
The wind was tough at first, Layton Jones said, but it died down after about an hour.
Except for a moment when they lost cell phone service and had to navigate from "the gut," she said, the trip was beautiful, with a great view and tons of birds floating and soaring nearby.
Still, she said, the three emerged exhausted.
"I would not want to do it again," Layton Jones said. "But for this cause I’m happy i did it and i hope something comes out of it."
Christopher Damien is a reporter for The Desert Sun, he can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien.
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These teens paddled across the Salton Sea to bring awareness to the lake's plight - Desert Sun
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