The Salton Sea was formed between 1905 and 1907 when the Colorado River broke through irrigation system diversion canals in Imperial County.  It currently hosts over 400 bird species each year and serves as a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway.  The lake surface is 234 feet below sea level and its deepest point is only 5 feet higher than the lowest point in Death Valley.  It sits directly on the San Andreas Fault.