Noses across Southern California were hoping for a sweeter-smelling Tuesday as public officials sought a solid answer for what made Monday so pungent.
One reason for doubt, the statement said, is that “it is highly unusual for odors to remain strong up to 150 miles from their source.” The smell was reported as far away as Palmdale and Lancaster, more than 150 miles north of the Salton Sea. The dying sea had a fish die-off within the past week and that, combined with strong storms in the area Sunday, could have churned up the water and unleashed bacteria from the sea floor that caused the stench, said Janis Dawson of the Salton Sea Authority. The district was flooded with more than 200 complaints Monday from across much of its 10,000 square miles. He said the phenomenon typically occurs a few times a year in the area surrounding the lake, but it was unusual for the smell to spread so far. Fish die-offs at the Salton Sea result from low oxygen levels in the water and receding shorelines. roof.”
