Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world, and the 37th-largest
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
on Earth. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. For instance, in 1963 it reached its lowest recorded level at 950 square miles (2,460 km²), but in 1987 the surface area was at the historic high of .
The lake is the largest remnant of
Lake BonnevilleLake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North America's Great Basin region. Most of the territory it covered was in present-day Utah, though parts of the lake extended into present-day Idaho and Nevada. Formed about 32,000 years ago, it existed until about 16,800 years...
, a
pluvial lakeA pluvial lake is a lake that experiences significant increase in depth and extent as a result of increased precipitation and reduced evaporation.-Etymology:The word pluvial comes from the Latin pluvia, which means "rain"...
which covered much of western Utah in prehistoric times. The Great Salt Lake is
endorheicAn endorheic basin is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans. Normally the water accruing in drainage basins flows out through surface rivers or by underground diffusion through permeable rock to the oceans...
(has no outlet besides
evaporationEvaporation is the vaporization of a liquid and the reverse, of condensation. A type of phase transition, it is the process by which molecules in a liquid state spontaneously become gaseous . Generally, evaporation can be seen by the gradual disappearance of a liquid from a substance when exposed...
) and has very high
salinitySalinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
, far saltier than sea water. The
JordanThe Jordan River is a 60-mile-long [97 km] river in the U.S. state of Utah. It flows from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. It is one of three major tributaries to the Great Salt Lake, the other two being the Bear River at the north, and the Weber River at the east.-Course:The Jordan River...
,
WeberThe Weber River is a c. long river of northern Utah, USA. It begins in the northwest of the Uinta Mountains and empties into the Great Salt Lake. The Weber River was named for American fur trapper John Henry Weber.-Weber River:...
, and
BearThe Bear River is a river, approximately long, in southwestern Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northern Utah, in the United States. The largest tributary of the Great Salt Lake, it drains a mountainous area and farming valleys east of the lake and southwest of the Snake River Plain.-Course:The...
rivers (the three major tributaries) deposit around 1.1 million tons of minerals in the lake each year, and the balance of evaporated water is mineral-free, concentrating the lake further. Because of its unusually high
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
concentration, most people can easily float in the lake as a result of the higher
densityThe density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol of density is ρ .- Formula :Mathematically:where: is the density, is the mass, is the volume....
of the water, particularly in the saltier north arm of the lake, Gunnison Bay. The lake's shallow, warm waters cause frequent, sometimes heavy lake-effect snows during late fall, early winter, and spring.
Although it has been called "America's
Dead SeaThe Dead Sea is a salt lake in Jordan to the east and in the West Bank and Israel to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is also one of the world's...
", the lake provides habitat for millions of native birds,
brine shrimpBrine shrimp is the English name of the genus Artemia of aquatic crustaceans. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, have evolved little since the Triassic period...
, shorebirds, and
waterfowlWaterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans.They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as...
, including the largest staging population of
Wilson's PhalaropeThe Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering around the central Andes in South America. They are passage migrants through...
in the world.
Origin
Great Salt Lake is a remnant of a much larger prehistoric lake called
Lake BonnevilleLake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North America's Great Basin region. Most of the territory it covered was in present-day Utah, though parts of the lake extended into present-day Idaho and Nevada. Formed about 32,000 years ago, it existed until about 16,800 years...
which, at its peak surface area, was nearly as large as
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume The third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area , it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin,...
and significantly deeper, covering roughly ten times the area of Great Salt Lake and over 1,000 feet (305 m) deep. It covered much of present-day Utah and small portions of
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
and
NevadaNevada is a state located in the western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is Silver State, due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there...
during the
Pleistocene EpochThe Pleistocene is the epoch from 2.588 million to 12 000 years BP covering the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, more commonly known as the Great Ice Age, between 32,000 and 14,000 years ago. With the change in climate, the lake began drying up, leaving Great Salt Lake,
Utah LakeUtah Lake, at , is the largest natural freshwater lake in the state of Utah and a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which covered much of the state. It drains via the Jordan River at its north end into Lake Bonneville's largest remnant, Great Salt Lake.Endemic to the lake are the...
,
Sevier LakeSevier Lake is an intermittent and endorheic lake which lies in the lowest part of the Sevier Desert, Millard County, Utah. Like Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake, it is one of the largest remnants of Lake Bonneville which covered much of the state in prehistoric times...
,
Rush LakeRush Lake is a shallow saline lake in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is a 16,800 year old remnant of Lake Bonneville, an ancient lake that formed approximately 32,000 years ago...
, and Little Salt Lake as remnants.
History
While the lake was well known by local Native Americans, it entered the annals of written history through the records of
Silvestre Vélez de EscalanteSilvestre Vélez de Escalante was a Franciscan missionary and explorer of the Southwest United States during the late 18th century. He is known for his journal, in which he described the expeditions he went on. These included a failed overland expedition in 1776...
, who learned of its existence from the Timpanogos Utes in 1776. No name was given to it at the time and it was not shown on the map by Bernardo Miera y Pacheco, the cartographer for the expedition. It was first seen by Europeans in 1824, apparently independently, by
Jim BridgerJames or Jim Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1840...
and
Etienne ProvostÉtienne Provost was a French Canadian fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence...
. Shortly thereafter other trappers saw it and walked around it.
Most of the trappers, however, were illiterate and did not record their discoveries. As oral reports of their findings made their way to those who did make records, some errors were made. Escalante had been on the shores of
Utah LakeUtah Lake, at , is the largest natural freshwater lake in the state of Utah and a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which covered much of the state. It drains via the Jordan River at its north end into Lake Bonneville's largest remnant, Great Salt Lake.Endemic to the lake are the...
, which he named Laguna Timpanogos. It was the larger of the two lakes that appeared on Miera's map. Other cartographers followed his lead and charted Lake Timpanogos as the largest (or larger) lake in the region. As people came to know of Great Salt Lake, they interpreted the maps to think that "Timpanogos" referred to Great Salt Lake. On some maps the two names were used synonymously. In time "Timpanogos" was dropped from the maps and its original association with Utah Lake was forgotten.
In 1843,
John C. FremontJohn Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery...
led the first scientific expedition to the lake, but with winter coming on, he did not take the time to survey the entire lake. That happened in 1850 under the leadership of Howard Stansbury (Stansbury discovered and named the Stansbury mountain range and Stansbury island). John Fremont's overly glowing reports of the area were published shortly after his expedition. His published report became very popular and his report of the area caught the attention of
Brigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the western United States. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death and was the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of Utah Territory,...
. When Young determined that his group of Mormons needed to leave Nauvoo,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, he determined to set the area as their destination.
Geography
Great Salt Lake lends its name to
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. Salt Lake City has a population of 181,698 as of July 1, 2008, making it the 125th largest city in the United States...
, originally named "Great Salt Lake City" by then-
PresidentIn the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It is the office held by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed successors, such as Brigham Young, Joseph Smith III,...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon or LDS Church) Brigham Young, who led a group of Mormon Pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley southeast of the lake on July 24, 1847.
Salt Lake City and its suburbs are located to the southeast and east of the lake, between the lake and the
Wasatch MountainsThe Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches about from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
, but land around the north and west shores is almost uninhabited. The
Bonneville Salt FlatsThe Bonneville Salt Flats are a 159 square mile salt flat in northwestern Utah. The depth of the salt has been recorded at 6 feet in many areas. A remnant of the ancient Lake Bonneville of glacial times, the salt flats are now public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management...
lie to the west, and the
OquirrhThe Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...
and Stansbury Mountains rise to the south.
The Great Salt Lake is fed by three major rivers and several minor streams. The three major rivers are each fed directly or indirectly from the
Uinta Mountain rangeThe Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah and extreme northwestern Colorado in the United States. A subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are unusual for being the highest range in the contiguous United States running east to west, and lie approximately 100 mi east of...
in northeastern Utah. The
Bear RiverThe Bear River is a river, approximately long, in southwestern Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northern Utah, in the United States. The largest tributary of the Great Salt Lake, it drains a mountainous area and farming valleys east of the lake and southwest of the Snake River Plain.-Course:The...
starts on the north slope of the Uintas and flows north past
Bear LakeBear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Utah-Idaho border in the Western United States. It is the second largest natural freshwater lake in Utah and has been called the "Caribbean of the Rockies" for its unique turquoise-blue color, the result of suspended limestone deposits in the water...
, into which some of Bear River's waters have been diverted via a man-made canal into the lake, but later empty back into the river by means of the Bear Lake Outlet. The river then turns south in southern Idaho and eventually flows into the northeast arm of the Great Salt Lake. The
Weber RiverThe Weber River is a c. long river of northern Utah, USA. It begins in the northwest of the Uinta Mountains and empties into the Great Salt Lake. The Weber River was named for American fur trapper John Henry Weber.-Weber River:...
also starts on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains and flows into the east edge of the lake. The
Jordan RiverThe Jordan River is a 60-mile-long [97 km] river in the U.S. state of Utah. It flows from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. It is one of three major tributaries to the Great Salt Lake, the other two being the Bear River at the north, and the Weber River at the east.-Course:The Jordan River...
does not receive its water directly from the Uintas, rather it flows from freshwater
Utah LakeUtah Lake, at , is the largest natural freshwater lake in the state of Utah and a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which covered much of the state. It drains via the Jordan River at its north end into Lake Bonneville's largest remnant, Great Salt Lake.Endemic to the lake are the...
, which itself is fed primarily by the Provo River; the Provo River does originate in the Uintas, a few miles from the Weber and Bear. The Jordan flows from the north part of Utah Lake into the southeast corner of the Great Salt Lake.
A railroad line—the
Lucin CutoffThe Lucin Cutoff is a railroad line which included a railroad trestle which crossed the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Built by the Southern Pacific Company between February 1902 and March 1904 across Promontory Point, it bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad route through Promontory Summit...
—runs across the lake, crossing the southern end of
PromontoryPromontory Point is the southernmost edge of the Promontory Mountains in southern Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at , with an elevation of 1285 meters above sea level...
PeninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
. The mostly-solid causeway supporting the railway divides the lake into three portions: the northeast arm, northwest arm, and southern. This causeway prevents the normal mixing of the waters of the lake due to the fact that there are only three breaches. Because there are no rivers, with the exception of a few minor streams, flowing directly into the northwest arm, Gunnison Bay, it is now substantially saltier than the rest of the lake.
Categorically stating the number of islands is difficult, as the method used to determine what is an island is not necessarily the same in each source. Since the water level of the lake can vary greatly between years, what may be considered an island in a high water year may be considered a peninsula in another, or an island in a low water year may be covered during another year. According to the US Dept of the Interior/US Geological Survey, "there are eight named islands in the lake that have never been totally submerged during historic time. All have been connected to the mainland by exposed shoals during periods of low water." In addition to these eight islands, the lake also contains a number of small islands, rocks, or shoals which become fully or partially submerged at high water levels.
The Utah Geological Survey, on the other hand, states "the lake contains 11 recognized islands, although this number varies depending on the level of the lake. Seven islands are in the southern portion of the lake and four in the northwestern portion."
The size and whether they are counted as islands during any particular year depends mostly on the level of the lake. From largest to smallest, they are
AntelopeAntelope Island, with an area of , is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, the largest lake in the Western United States, and the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. The island lies entirely within Davis County, in the southeastern portion of the lake and becomes a peninsula...
, Stansbury,
FremontFremont Island is the third largest island within the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA. Antelope Island, at 42 square miles in area, is the largest island within the Great Salt Lake. There are certain flora species that occur on Fremont Island, and there is historic evidence that some species that were...
, Carrington, Dolphin, Cub, Badger, Strongs Knob, Gunnison, Goose, Browns, Hat (Bird), Egg Island, Black Rock and White Rock. Dolphin,
GunnisonGunnison Island is located in the northwest quadrant of the Great Salt Lake in the U.S. State of Utah , approximately 55 miles northwest from Salt Lake City and about 6 miles east from the lake's western shore. Approximately 1 mile long and a half-mile wide, Gunnison Island is best known as an...
, Cub, and Strongs Knob are in the northwest arm. The rest are in the southern portion. There are also a number of small, unnamed islands.
Black Rock, Antelope Island, White Rock, Egg Island,
Fremont IslandFremont Island is the third largest island within the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA. Antelope Island, at 42 square miles in area, is the largest island within the Great Salt Lake. There are certain flora species that occur on Fremont Island, and there is historic evidence that some species that were...
, and the
Promontory mountain rangeThe Promontory Mountains are a north-south orientated mountain range in Box Elder County, Utah. The range juts out into the Great Salt Lake, forming a twenty mile long peninsula. An area called Promontory Point is at the southern tip of the range....
are each extensions of the
Oquirrh Mountain RangeThe Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...
, which dips beneath the lake at its southeastern shore. Stansbury, Carrington, and Hat Islands are extensions of the Stansbury mountain range, and Strongs Knob is an extension of the Lakeside Mountains which run along the lake's western shore. The lake is deepest in the area between these island chains, measured by Howard Stansbury in 1850 at about 35 feet (10.7 m) deep, and an average depth of 13 feet (4 m). When the water levels are low, Antelope Island becomes connected to the shore as a
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
, as do Goose, Browns and some of the other islands. Stansbury Island and Strongs Knob remain peninsulas unless the water level rises above average. At high levels, some of the smaller islands become completely submerged.
Lake-effect
Due to the warm waters of the Great Salt Lake, lake-effect snow is a frequent phenomenon of the lake. Cold north, northwest, or west winds generally blow across the lake following the passage of a cold front, and the temperature difference between the warm lake and the cool air can form clouds that lead to precipitation downwind of the lake. It is typically heaviest from eastern
Tooele CountyTooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
east and north into central
Davis CountyDavis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In land area it is the smallest county in Utah. In 2000 the population was 238,994 and by 2008 was estimated at 295,332. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion...
. It can deposit excessive snowfall amounts, generally with a narrow band of snow highly dependent on the direction the wind is blowing.
The lake-effect snows are more likely to occur in late fall, early winter, and during spring due to the higher temperature differences between the lake and the air above it. The water is generally too cold to support lake-effect snow during mid-winter, since the lake temperatures usually fall to near the freezing point. During summer, the temperature differences can form thunderstorms that form over the lake and drift eastward along the northern
Wasatch FrontThe Wasatch Front is an urban area in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Santaquin in the south to Brigham City in the north...
. Some rainstorms may also be partially contributed due to the lake-effect in fall and spring. It is estimated that approximately 6-8 lake-effect snowstorms occur in a year, and that 10% of the average precipitation of
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. Salt Lake City has a population of 181,698 as of July 1, 2008, making it the 125th largest city in the United States...
can be attributed to the lake-effect.
Hydrology
Water levels have been recorded since 1875, averaging about 4,200 feet (1,280 m) above
sea levelMean sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation.- Measurement :...
. Since the Great Salt Lake is a shallow lake with gently sloping shores around all edges except on the south side, small variations in the water level can greatly affect the extent of the shoreline. The water level can rise dramatically in wet years and fall during dry years. The water level is also affected by the amount of water flow diverted for agricultural and urban uses. The Jordan and Weber rivers are particularly diverted for other uses. In the 1880s
Grove Karl GilbertGrove Karl Gilbert , known by the abbreviated name G. K. Gilbert in academic literature, was an American geologist....
predicted that the lake – then in the middle of many years of recession – would virtually disappear except for a small remnant between the islands.
Great Salt Lake differs in elevation between the south and north parts. The Union Pacific Railroad causeway divides the lake into two parts. The water-surface elevation of the south part of the lake is usually higher than that of the north part because most of the inflow to the lake occurs from the south.
West Desert pumping project
Record high water levels in the 1980s caused massive property damage for owners on the eastern side of the lake, and started to erode the base of
Interstate 80Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States . It connects downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. I-80 is the interstate that most closely approximates the route of the Lincoln Highway, the first auto trail to cross the...
. In response, the State of Utah built the West Desert pumping project on the western side of the lake, featuring a pumping station at Hogup Ridge, containing three pumps with a combined capability of releasing 1.5 million gallons-per-minute; a outlet canal, an inlet canal, which allowed water from the Newfoundland Evaporation Basin to return to Great Salt Lake; of dikes, and a access road between the railroad town of Lakeside and the pumping station.
The project was designed to increase the surface area of the Great Salt Lake, and therefore the rate of evaporation. The pumps released Great Salt Lake's waters into the 320,000 acre (1300 km²) Newfoundland Evaporation Basin in the west desert. A weir in the dike at the south end of the Newfoundland Mountains regulated the level of water in the basin, and returned salty water from the basin to the main body of Great Salt Lake.
At the end of their first year in operation, the pumps had released around 500,000 acre feet (0.6 km³) of water. The project was shut down in June 1989, as the lake had dropped almost 6 feet (2 m) since reaching its peak in June 1986 and March 1987. The Utah Division of Water Resources credits the project with "over one-third of that decline." In total, the pumps released 2.73 million acre feet (3.4 km³) of water while they operated. Although the pumps are not currently in use, they are maintained in the event the lake rises to those levels again.
Salinity
Most of the
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
s dissolved in the lake and deposited in the desert flats around it reflect the concentration of solutes by
evaporationEvaporation is the vaporization of a liquid and the reverse, of condensation. A type of phase transition, it is the process by which molecules in a liquid state spontaneously become gaseous . Generally, evaporation can be seen by the gradual disappearance of a liquid from a substance when exposed...
; Lake Bonneville itself was fresh enough to support populations of fish. More salt is added yearly via rivers and streams, though the amount is much less than the relict salt from Bonneville.
The salinity of Great Salt Lake is highly variable and depends on the lake's level; it ranges from 5 to 27%, or (or 50-270
pptIn chemistry, concentration is the measure of how much of a given substance there is mixed with another substance. This can apply to any sort of chemical mixture, but most frequently the concept is limited to homogeneous solutions, where it refers to the amount of solute in the solvent.To...
). For comparison, the average salinity of the world ocean is 3.5% (35 ppt) and 30.4% in the
Dead SeaThe Dead Sea is a salt lake in Jordan to the east and in the West Bank and Israel to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is also one of the world's...
. The
ionAn ion is an atom or molecule where the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge...
ic composition is similar to
seawaterSeawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5%. This means that every of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts...
, much more so than the Dead Sea's water; compared to the ocean, Great Salt Lake's waters are slightly enriched in
potassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash...
and depleted in
calciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
.
Ecosystem
The high salinity of the lake makes it uninhabitable for all but a few species, including
brine shrimpBrine shrimp is the English name of the genus Artemia of aquatic crustaceans. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, have evolved little since the Triassic period...
, brine flies, and several forms of
algaeAlgae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds. They are photosynthetic, like plants, and "simple" because they lack the many distinct organs found in...
. The brine flies have an estimated population of over one hundred billion and serve as the main source of food for many of the birds which migrate to the lake. However, the fresh- and salt-water wetlands along the eastern and northern edges of the Great Salt Lake provide critical habitat for millions of migratory shorebirds and
waterfowlWaterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans.They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as...
in western North America. These marshes account for approximately 75% of the wetlands in Utah. Some of the birds that depend on these marshes include:
Wilson's phalaropeThe Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering around the central Andes in South America. They are passage migrants through...
,
red-necked phalaropeThe Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans....
,
American avocetThe American Avocet is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae.This avocet has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, "blue shanks". The plumage is black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer...
,
black-necked stiltThe Black-necked Stilt is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south through Central America and the Caribbean...
,
marbled godwitThe Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedoa, is a large shorebird.Adults have long blue-grey hairy legs and a very long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The long neck, breast and belly are pale brown with dark bars on the breast and flanks. The back is mottled and dark...
, snowy plover,
western sandpiperThe Western Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia mauri, is a small shorebird.Adults have dark legs and a short thin dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny...
,
long-billed dowitcherThe Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus, is a medium-sized shorebird.Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern...
, tundra swan,
American white pelicanThe American White Pelican or Rough-billed Pelican is a large aquatic bird from the order Pelecaniformes...
,
white-faced ibisThe White-faced Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. Its breeding range extends from the western USA south through Mexico, as well as from southeastern Brazil and southeastern Bolivia south to...
,
California gullThe California Gull Larus californicus is a medium-sized gull, smaller than the Herring Gull but larger than the Ring-billed Gull.Adults are similar in appearance to the Herring Gull, but have a smaller yellow bill with a black ring, yellow legs, brown eyes and a more rounded head. The body is...
, eared grebe,
peregrine falconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
,
bald eagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America that is most recognizable as the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the...
, plus large populations of various ducks and geese.
There are twenty-seven private duck clubs, seven state waterfowl management areas, and a large federal bird refuge on Great Salt Lake's shores. Wetland/wildlife management areas include the
Bear River Migratory Bird RefugeBear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Utah, established in 1927. Leased by the government from private property owners....
; Gillmor Sanctuary; Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve; Salt Creek, Public Shooting Grounds, Harold Crane, Locomotive Springs, Ogden Bay, Timpie Springs, and Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Areas.
Several islands in the lake provide critical nesting areas for various birds. Access to Hat, Gunnison, and Cub islands is strictly limited by the State of Utah in an effort to protect nesting colonies of
American white pelicanThe American White Pelican or Rough-billed Pelican is a large aquatic bird from the order Pelecaniformes...
(Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). The islands within the Great Salt Lake also provide habitat for certain
mammalMammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.Mammals are divided into three main...
ian
wildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals, and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
and for a variety of vegetative species. There are a variety of flora species that occur on the islands within Great Salt Lake; interestingly, there is historic evidence that some species that were earlier documented to occur on the islands are no longer present. For example, the Yellow Mariposa Lily,
Calochortus luteusCalochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily is a mariposa lily endemic to California. This species is found on coastal prairie, grasslands and some open forest floors. The flower is 3-5cm across and primarily bright yellow, with sparse hair inside and often red-brown streaks or blotches. It may...
, is documented to have occurred on Fremont Island in the nineteenth century, but is not there now.
There are no
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
in the Great Salt Lake because of the high salinity. The only aquatic animals able to live in the lake are tiny
brine shrimpBrine shrimp is the English name of the genus Artemia of aquatic crustaceans. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, have evolved little since the Triassic period...
(Artemia franciscana). Their tiny, hard-walled eggs or cysts (diameter of about 200 micrometers) are harvested in quantity during the fall and early winter. They are fed to
prawnPrawns are Decapods, belonging to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata . They are similar in appearance to shrimp, but can be distinguished by the gill structure which is branching in prawns , but is lamellar in shrimp...
s in Asia, sold as novelty "
Sea-MonkeySea-Monkeys are a variant of brine shrimp or Artemia salina, originating in salt lakes and evaporation flats. They are members of the phylum Arthropoda now called Artemia salina × nyos...
s," sold either live or
dehydratedDrying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which prevents the growth of microorganisms and decay. Drying food using the sun and wind to prevent spoilage has been known since ancient times...
in pet stores as a fish food, and used in testing of toxins, drugs, and other chemicals. There are also two species of salt flies and some bacteria and algae.
Salinity differences between the sections of the lake separated by the railroad causeway result in significantly different biota. A
phytoplanktonPhytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτον , or "plant", and πλαγκτος , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
community dominated by blue-green or green algae tint the water south of the causeway a greenish color. North of the causeway, the lake is dominated by
Dunaliella salinaDunaliella salina is a type of halophile pink micro-algae especially found in sea salt fields. Known for its anti-oxidant activity because of its ability to create large amount of carotenoids. It is used in cosmetics and dietary supplements. Few organisms can survive in such highly saline...
, a species of algae which releases
beta-caroteneβ-Carotene is an organic compound - a terpenoid, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. As a carotene with beta-rings at both ends, it is the most common form of carotene. It is a precursor of vitamin A...
and the bacteria-like
haloarchaeaHaloarchaea are microrganisms member of the halophile community, in that they require high salt concentrations to grow. They are a distinct evolutionary branch of the Archaea, and are generally considered extremophiles, although not all members of this group can be considered as such.-Living...
which together give the water an unusual reddish or purplish color. These color differences are especially noticeable in satellite photographs. Although brine shrimp can be found in the arm of the lake north of the causeway, studies conducted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources indicate that these are likely transient. Populations of brine shrimp are mostly restricted to the lake's south arm.
Pink Floyd the flamingo
A solitary
Chilean flamingoThe Chilean Flamingo is a large species closely related to Caribbean Flamingo and Greater Flamingo, with which it was sometimes considered conspecific...
named Pink Floyd wintered at the Great Salt Lake. He escaped from Salt Lake City's Tracy Aviary in 1987 and lived in the wild, eating
brine shrimpBrine shrimp is the English name of the genus Artemia of aquatic crustaceans. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, have evolved little since the Triassic period...
and socializing with gulls and swans. (Pink Floyd is often referred to as a "he," although the bird's gender is not actually known.) A group of Utah residents suggested petitioning the state to release more flamingos in an effort to keep Floyd company and as a possible tourist attraction. Wildlife biologists resisted these efforts, saying that deliberate introduction of a non-native species would be ecologically unsound and might have detrimental consequences. Pink Floyd was last seen in Idaho (where he was known to migrate to) in 2005. He has not been seen since then and is presumed not to have survived the winter of 2005-2006.
Elevated mercury levels
US Geological Survey and US Fish & Wildlife researchers, originally studying
seleniumSelenium is a chemical element with the atomic number 34, represented by the chemical symbol Se, an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, chemically related to sulfur and tellurium, and rarely occurs in its elemental state in nature....
levels in the lake, discovered some of the highest levels of methyl-mercury they have ever seen, at 25 nanograms per liter of water. For comparison, a fish consumption advisory was issued at the Florida Everglades after water there was found to contain 1 nanogram per liter.
This prompted further studies and a health advisory warning hunters not to eat
Common GoldeneyeThe Common Goldeneye is a medium sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye....
or
Northern ShovelerThe Northern Shoveler , sometimes known simply as the Shoveler , is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
, two species of
duckDuck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. The ducks are divided between several subfamilies listed in full in the Anatidae article; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks...
found in the lake. It has been stated that this does not pose a risk to other recreational users of the lake.
After later studies were conducted with a larger number of birds, the advisories were revised and another was added for
cinnamon tealThe Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera, is a small dabbling duck from the Americas,and its status is Least Concern.thumb|left|Female Anas cyanoptera septentrionalium...
. Seven other species of duck were studied and found to have levels of mercury below EPA guidelines, thus being determined safe to eat.
Commerce
The lake's north arm contains deposits of oil, but it is of poor quality and it is not economically feasible to extract and purify it. As of 1993, around of crude oil had been produced from shallow wells along the shore.
Solar evaporation ponds at the edges of the lake produce
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
s and
brineBrine is water saturated or nearly saturated with a salt .It is used to preserve vegetables, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses.Brine is a common fluid used in large refrigeration installations for the transport of heat from...
(water with high salt quantity). Minerals extracted from the lake include:
sodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt, or halite, is an ionic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
(common salt), used in
water softenersA water softener reduces the dissolved calcium, magnesium, and to some degree manganese and ferrous iron ion concentration in hard water. A common water softener is sodium carbonate; formula .These "hardness ions" cause three major kinds of undesired effects....
,
salt lickA salt lick is a salt deposit that animals regularly lick. In an ecosystem, salt/mineral licks often occur naturally, providing the sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc required in the springtime for bone, muscle and other growth in deer and other wildlife, such as moose, elephants, cattle,...
blocks for livestock, and to melt ice on local roadways;
potassium sulfatePotassium sulfate is a non-flammable white crystalline salt which is soluble in water...
(potash), used as a commercial fertilizer;
magnesium-chlorideMagnesium chloride is the name for the chemical compounds with the formulas MgCl2 and its various hydrates MgCl2x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from brine or sea water...
brine, used in the production of
magnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12 and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust by mass, although ninth in the Universe as a whole...
metal, chlorine gas, and as a dust suppressant. Food-grade salt is not produced from the lake, as it would require further costly processing to ensure its purity. Mineral-extraction companies operating on the lake pay
royaltiesRoyalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property right. Royalties are typically a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of an asset or a fixed price per unit sold of an item...
on their products to the State of Utah, which owns the lake.
The harvest of brine shrimp cysts during fall and early winter has developed into a significant local industry, with cysts selling for as high as $35 a pound. Brine shrimp were first harvested during the 1950s and sold as commercial fish food. In the 1970s the focus changed to their eggs, known as cysts, which were sold primarily outside of the United States to be used as food for shrimp, prawns, and some fish. Today, these are mostly sold in the
OrientThe Orient is a term which means "the East". It is a traditional designation for anything belonging to the Orient or Far East. In English it is a metonym describing Eastern Asia. It was also used to indicate the eastern direction in historical astronomy as the adjective Oriental.- Derivation :The...
and
South AmericaSouth America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere...
. The amount of cysts and the quality are affected by several factors, but salinity is most important. The cysts will hatch at 2 to 3% salinity, but the greatest productivity is at salinities above about 10%. If the salinity drops near 5 to 6%, the cysts will lose buoyancy and sink, making them more difficult to harvest.
A large resort called
SaltairSaltair, also The SaltAir or Saltair Pavilion, is the name which has been given to several resorts located on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, United States, about fifteen miles from Salt Lake City.-History:...
has been operated on the southern shore of the lake off and on for many years. Rising and lowering water levels have affected Saltair, and it has burned down twice. Currently it serves as a concert venue. The new resort built in 1981 after large fires completely destroyed the second and largest in the 1960s, is only a shadow of the resort's former grandeur.
Dramatically fluctuating lake levels have inhibited the creation and success of tourist-related developments. There is a problem with pollution of the lake by industrial and urban effluent. Also, especially when the waters are low, decay of insects and other wildlife give the shore of the lake a distinctive odor, which may keep some tourists from coming near the lake. Despite these issues, the lake remains one of Utah's largest tourist attractions.
Antelope Island State ParkAntelope Island, with an area of , is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, the largest lake in the Western United States, and the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. The island lies entirely within Davis County, in the southeastern portion of the lake and becomes a peninsula...
is a popular tourist destination that offers panoramic views of the lake, hiking and biking trails, wildlife viewing and access to beaches.
Miscellaneous
Spiral Jetty
The northwest arm of the lake, near Rozel Point, is the location for
Robert SmithsonRobert Smithson was an American artist famous for his land art.-Background and education:Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey and studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League of New York....
's work of
land artLand art, Earthworks, or Earth art is an art movement which emerged in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked. Sculptures are not placed in the landscape; rather the landscape is the very means of their creation...
,
Spiral JettyThe Spiral Jetty, considered to be the central work of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is an earthwork sculpture constructed in 1970.Built of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth, and water on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point in Utah, it forms a 1500-foot long,...
(1970), which is only visible when the level of Great Salt Lake drops below 4,197.8 feet (1,280.2 m) above sea level.
Oolitic sand
The lake and its shores contain
oolitic sandOolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. The name derives from the Hellenic word òoion for egg. Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 mm: rocks composed of ooids larger than 2 mm are called pisolites...
, which are small, rounded, or spherical grains of sand made up of a nucleus (generally a small mineral grain) and concentric layers of
calcium carbonateCalcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CaCO
3. It is a common substance found in rock in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural...
(lime) and look similar to very small pearls.
Lake monster
In mid-1877, J.H. McNeil was with many other Barnes and Co. Salt Works employees on the lake’s north shore in the evening. They claimed to have seen a large monster with a body like a
crocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
and a
horseThe horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
’s head in the lake. They claimed this monster attacked the men, who quickly ran away and hid until morning. This creature is regarded by some to have simply been a
buffaloThe American Bison is a North American species of bison, also commonly known as the American Buffalo. "Buffalo" is somewhat of a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two "true buffaloes", the Asian Buffalo and the African Buffalo...
in the lake. Thirty years prior, "Brother Bainbridge" claimed to have sighted a creature that looked like a
dolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly...
in the lake near Antelope Island. This monster is called by some the
North Shore MonsterThe North Shore Monster is the name given to a purported cryptid which some believe lives in Utah's Great Salt Lake.In the 1840s, a certain Brother Bainbridge reported seeing a monster with a dolphin-like body in the lake near Antelope Island. At dusk or evening of the early summer of 1877, J.H....
.
See also
- List of lakes by area
- Pyramid Lake
- Mono Lake
Mono Lake is an alkaline and hypersaline lake in Mono County, California. It has an unusually productive ecosystem, and is a critical nesting habitat for several bird species.-Geology:...
- Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Riverside and Imperial Counties in Southern California. Like Death Valley, it is located below sea level, with the current...
- Great Salt Lake effect
The Great Salt Lake effect is a small but detectable influence on the local climate and weather around the Great Salt Lake in Utah, United States. In particular, snowstorms are a common occurrence over the region and have major socio-economic impacts due to their significant precipitation amounts...
Further reading
- Arnow, T. (1984). Water-level and water-quality changes in Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1847-1983 [U.S. Geological Survey Circular 913]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
External links
- Great Salt Lake - Detailed Information Utah.com
- Science at the Great Salt Lake: Westminster College's student research at the lake.
- Friends of Great Salt Lake
- Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
- Earth Observatory images of the Great Salt Lake
- United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning...
map of the Great Salt Lake
- Friends of the Great Salt Lake map of the Great Salt Lake
- Great Salt Lake Basin Hydrologic Observatory
- Ogden
Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 81,605 according to 2005 Census Bureau estimates. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a convenient...
Convention and Visitor's Bureau Great Salt Lake facts
- United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning...
Real-time data
- Great Salt Lake Photographic Survey
- Mineral Resources International http://www.mineralresourcesint.com/gsl.htm