Hikin_Jim wrote:So, at it's heart, is the problem basically that the lake just isn't getting enough water?
No, just the opposite. Without an
outflow, any body of water will increase in salinity (and the concentration of other minerals as well) because the water coming in, although it's fresh water, has a higher concentration of these substances than does the absolutely pure form of water that leaves through evaporation. Regardless of the amount of water entering the Salton Sea, it will continue to increase in the level of impurity because there is no outflow to establish equilibrium.
Incidentally, the Salton Sea has existed intermittently for thousands of years, but the current form has had much higher levels of complex chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers, etc. than could have ever occurred naturally because the runoff it receives is from agricultural sources. Any solution will be complex and expensive because the problem is so vast in scope. Too much water there to purify, too many pollutants there to let the thing dry up. Gotta wonder, though, if it's not passing on horrible toxic chemicals to the birds that still gather there.
z