Great Salt Lake
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Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. State of Utah, is the fourth largest terminal lake in the world,[Great Salt Lake, Utah]. U.S. Geological Survey. and the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere.[Great Salt Lake]. Encyclopedia Britannica Online During an average year it is also the 33rd largest lake in the world by area;[Large Lakes of the World]. Factmonster.com. in an average year the lake covers an area of around 1,700 square miles (4,400 km²), but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. For instance, in 1963 it covered only 950 square miles (1,529 km²) (historic low), but in 1987 the surface area was at a historic high of 3,300 square miles(5,311 km²), which would make it the 18th largest lake in the world today. Like the much larger Great Lakes of North America, Great Salt Lake is large enough to produce lake effect snow.Warm water helps create Great Lakes snowstorms]. USATODAY.com''
The lake is the remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which was roughly ten times the size of Great Salt Lake, more than 1,000 feet (305 m) deep,[Where was Lake Bonneville, how large was it, and when did it exist?]. Utah Geological Survey. and covered much of present-day Utah and small portions of Idaho and Nevada. Great Salt Lake is endorheic (has no outlet besides evaporation), and therefore has very high salinity, far saltier than the ocean. The three major feeder rivers 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 salt concentration, most people can easily float in the lake due to natural buoyancy as a result of the higher density of the water, particularly in the saltier north arm (Gunnison Bay) of the lake[Can I float in Great Salt Lake?]. Utah Geological Survey.
Although sometimes referred to as "Utah's Dead Sea",[Great Salt Lake: More than meets the nose]. CNN Travel. the lake provides habitat for millions of shorebirds and waterfowl, including the largest staging population of Wilson's Phalarope in the world.[Birds and Great Salt Lake]. U.S. Geological Survey. In addition to birds and brine shrimp, the lake is also home, oddly enough, to a Chilean flamingo named Pink Floyd (see below).
Geography
Salt Lake City and its suburbs are located to the southeast and east of the lake, between the lake and the Wasatch Mountains, but land around the north and west shores is almost uninhabited. The Bonneville Salt Flats lie to the west, and the Oquirrh 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 range in northeastern utah. The Bear River starts in the north slope of the Uintas and flows north past Bear Lake, into which some of Bear River's waters have been diverted[Bear Lake]. Utah Division of Water Quality (PDF format) via a man-made canal into the lake, but later empty back into the river by means of the Bear Lake outlet which drains Bear Lake; The river then turns south in southern Idaho and eventually flows into the northeast arm of Great Salt Lake. The Weber River also starts in the north slope of the Uinta Mountains and flows into the east edge of the lake. The Jordan River does not receive its water directly from the Uintas, but it drains freshwater Utah Lake, which itself is fed primarily by the Provo River which begins in the south slope of the Uintas and flows into the east part of Utah Lake. The Jordan flows from the north part of Utah Lake into the southeast corner of Great Salt Lake. A railroad line—the Lucin Cutoff—runs across the lake, crossing the southern end of Promontory Peninsula. The mostly-solid causeway supporting the railway divides the lake into three portions: northeast arm, northwest arm and southern. This causeway prevents the normal mixing of the waters of the lake due to its lack of water passages, and since there are no rivers, with the exception of a few minor streams, flowing directly into the northwest arm (also called "Gunnison Bay"), it is now noticeably saltier than the rest of the lake.
Islands
There are eighthttp://www.umfa.utah.edu/?id=MjE4 to thirteen named islandshttp://geology.utah.gov/online/PI-39/pi39pg05.htm in the Great Salt Lake, seven in the southern arm and four in the northwest. Whether or not they are counted as islands depends mostly on the level of the lake which can vary greatly from year to year. From largest to smallest, they are Antelope, Stansbury, Fremont, Carrington, Dolphin, Cub, Badger, Strongs Knob, Gunnison, Hat (Bird), Egg Island, Black Rock and White Rock. Dolphin, Gunnison, Cub, and Strongs Knob are in the northwest arm, and the rest are in the southern portion. There are also a number of small, unnamed islands whose size and number greatly depends on the level of the lake.
Antelope and Fremont Islands are extensions of the Oquirrh mountain range. Stansbury Island and other smaller islands are extensions of the Stansbury mountain range. The lake is deepest in the area between these island chains, about 35 feet (10.7 m) deep at the 4,200 foot (1,280 m) level. The lake averages 13 feet (4 m) deep at the same level. When the water levels are low (as they were in late 2004 averaging under 4,195 feet (1279 m), Antelope island becomes connected to the shore as a peninsula, as do some of the other islands. In fact, 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.See also: [Commonly Asked Questions About Utah's Great Salt Lake and Ancient Lake Bonneville]. Utah Geological Survey.
Antelope,[Weather Conditions for SNX] Gunnison,[Weather Conditions for GNI] and Hat[Weather Conditions for HATUT] islands each have weather monitoring stations operated by various state and federal agencies.
Hydrology
Water levels have been recorded since 1875, averaging about 4,200 feet (1,280 m) above sea level. 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. During low levels, the lake is difficult to approach because it is fringed by long and sometimes quite odorous mud flats.Because the water level is variable, it can rise dramatically in wet years and fall during drought 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 Gilbert predicted that the lake — then in the middle of many years of recession — would virtually disappear except for a small remnant between the islands. Record high levels in the 1980s caused massive property damage for owners on the eastern side, and started to erode the base of Interstate 80. In response, the state built pumps on the western side of the lake to pump dangerously high water out into the west desert, but as of 2004 these pumps are dry and miles away from the lake's shore. They are, however, maintained in the event the lake rises to those levels again.
Salinity
Most of the salts dissolved in the lake and deposited in the desert flats around it reflect the concentration of solutes by evaporation; Lake Bonneville itself was fresh enough to support populations of fish.http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/online/PI-39/pi39pg03.htm, http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/online/PI-39/pi39pg02.htm More salt is added yearly via rivers and streams, though the amount is much less than the relict salt from Bonneville.http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/online/PI-39/pi39pg03.htmThe salinity of Great Salt Lake is highly variable, and depends on the lake's level; it ranges from 5 to 27% (or 50-270 ppt).[Can I float in Great Salt Lake?]. Utah Geological Survey. The ionic composition is similar to seawater, much more so than the Dead Sea's; compared to the ocean, Great Salt Lake's waters are slightly enriched in potassium, and depleted in calcium.[Can I float in Great Salt Lake?]. Utah Geological Survey.
Ecosystem
The high salinity of the lake makes it uninhabitable for all but a few species. 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 waterfowl in western North America. These marshes account for approximately 75 percent of the wetlands in Utah. Some of the birds that depend on these marshes include: Wilson's phalarope, red-necked phalarope, American avocet, black-necked stilt, marbled godwit, snowy plover, western sandpiper, long-billed dowitcher, tundra swan, American white pelican, white-faced ibis, California gull, eared grebe, peregrine falcon, bald eagle, plus large populations of various ducks and geese.
Great Salt Lake wetland/wildlife management areas include the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge; 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 small 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 pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos).
The only aquatic animals able to live in the lake are tiny brine shrimp (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 hatch easily, and are fed to prawns in Asia. They are also are sold as novelty "Sea-Monkeys." 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 phytoplankton 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 halophilic bacteria which gives 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 seem to indicate that these animals are likely transient. Populations of brine shrimp are mostly restricted to the lake's south arm.
Pink Floyd the flamingo
As of 2005, a solitary Chilean flamingo named Pink Floyd winters at the Great Salt Lake. It escaped from Salt Lake City's Tracy Aviary in 1987 and now lives in the wild, eating brine shrimp and socializing with gulls and swans. Utah residents have suggested petitioning the state to release more flamingos in an effort to keep Floyd company and as a possible tourist attraction. Wildlife biologists have resisted these efforts, saying that deliberate introduction of a non-native species would be ecologically unsound and might have detrimental consequences.[A Flamingo Flies the Coop to Fame]. The Christian Science Monitor.
Commerce
Shallow artificial ponds at the edge of the lake are used to produce salt magnesium and other minerals for commercial sale.
The harvest of brine shrimp cysts during fall and early winter has developed into a significant local industry.
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.
A large resort called Saltair has been operated on the southern shore of the lake. Rising and lowering water levels have affected Saltair, and it has burned twice.[Saltair Resort]. Utah City Guide. The new resort built in 1981 after large fires completely destroyed the second and largest in the 1960s, is a but a skeleton of the resort's former grandeur.
Dramatically fluctuating lake levels have inhibited the creation and success of tourist-related developments. Despite this, the lake remains one of Utah's largest tourist attractions. Antelope Island State Park is a popular tourist destination that offers panoramic views of the lake, hiking and biking trails, wildife viewing and access to beaches.
The northwest arm of the lake, near Rozel Point, is the location for Robert Smithson's significant work of land art, Spiral Jetty (1970).
See also
Footnotes
References
- Morgan, Dale L. (1947). The Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 0874804787
- [USGS - Brine Shrimp and Ecology of Great Salt Lake]
- [Utah Division of Wildlife Resources]
- [Deseret News]
- [Monitoring the Weather over the Great Salt Lake]. University of Utah Department of Meteorology.
- [West Desert Pumping Project]. Utah Division of Water Resources.
- [Commonly Asked Questions About Utah's Great Salt Lake and Ancient Lake Bonneville]. Utah 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 [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 Convention and Visitor's Bureau [Great Salt Lake facts]
|
State of Utah Cities | Counties | Flag | Flower | Governors | Song |
|---|---|
| State Capital: | Salt Lake City |
| Regions: | Cache Valley | Dixie | Great Salt Lake | Great Salt Lake Desert | Uinta Mountains | Wasatch Back | Wasatch Front | Wasatch Range |
| '''Metropolitan Areas (with constituent cities):''' |
Logan
Ogden-Clearfield - Bountiful | Kaysville | Layton | Roy Provo-Orem - American Fork | Lehi | Pleasant Grove | Spanish Fork | Springville Salt Lake City - Cottonwood Heights | Draper | Holladay | Midvale | Murray | Park City | Riverton | Sandy | South Jordan | Taylorsville | Tooele | West Jordan | West Valley City |
| Micropolitan Areas: | Brigham City | Cedar City | Heber | Price | Vernal |
| Counties: | Beaver | Box Elder | Cache | Carbon | Daggett | Davis | Duchesne | Emery | Garfield | Grand | Iron | Juab | Kane | Millard | Morgan | Piute | Rich | Salt Lake | San Juan | Sanpete | Sevier | Summit | Tooele | Uintah | Utah | Wasatch | Washington | Wayne | Weber |
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