Residents from Marina have been wondering why their town reeks of a horrible smell. The stink was determined to be coming from the South Salinas Sludge Ponds located next to the Salinas River. These ponds are designed to aerate the agricultural waste of farmers, and usually do not produce a noticeable odor. However, due to California’s drought, the water was drained from the ponds and used to irrigate fields in Castroville. In December, city crews restarted the flow of water into the ponds, causing dry smelly sludge to mix with water. The result was the grotesque smell. It is unknown at this time when the odor will go away.
