A view of the future? Salts evaporated from agricultural drainage water in the Western San Joaquin Valley accumulates in huge evaporation ponds near Kettleman City in western Fresno County near Interstate 5. Millions of pounds of salts, heavy metals and trace elements are accumulating annually in thousands of acres of evaporation ponds in the western valley. These lands are essentially ruined for all future uses, as is the groundwater below the ponds. The photo was taken in October 2008.