In the 1950s and ‘60s, the Salton Sea was a resort destination for water skiers, boaters and bird watchers. But now, the once postcard-ready sight, located 150 miles east of Los Angeles, is an eyesore, a desolate area with a shrinking coastline triggering far-reaching environmental and public health emergencies. With the already poor air quality declining quickly and the population’s breathing increasingly at risk, efforts to turn the tide have become critical. As told by a gallery of passionate experts, historians and locals, director Greg Bassenian presents an elegantly woven history of the Salton Sea, the development of the region and how it came to be that the “sportsman’s paradise” is now vanishing. Informative, poignant and ultimately hopeful, this essential documentary is a stirring wake-up call for the Imperial Valley that the stakes have never been higher.