Searles Lake. Aerial view of Searles Lake, California, USA, that has been turned red by salt-loving bacteria. Searles lake is an endorheic dry lake in the Mojave Desert that collects rainwater from time to time. As the water evaporates in the heat of the sun, the lake becomes a marsh and the water turns to brine. The bacteria, in the lakebed, which contain the same pigment as in tomatoes, suddenly begin to multiply, causing the red colouration.