Great Salt lake - wikipedia Great Salt lake Great Salt Lake Satellite photo from August 2003 after five years of drought, reaching near - record lows. Note the difference in colors between the northern and southern portions of the lake, the result of a railroad causeway. Location Utah, United States Coordinates 41 ° 10 ′ N 112 ° 35 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.167 ° N 112.583 ° W ﻿ / 41.167 ; - 112.583 Coordinates : 41 ° 10 ′ N 112 ° 35 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.167 ° N 112.583 ° W ﻿ / 41.167 ; - 112.583 Type Endorheic, hypersaline, generally 27 % salinity Primary inflows Bear, Jordan, Weber rivers Catchment area 21,500 sq mi ( 55,685 km2 ) Basin countries United States Max. length 75 mi ( 120 km ) Max. width 28 mi ( 45 km ) Surface area 1,700 sq mi ( 4,400 km2 ) Average depth 16 ft ( 4.9 m ), when lake is at average level Max. depth 33 ft ( 10 m ) average, high of 45 ft ( 14 m ) in 1987, low of 24 ft ( 7.3 m ) in 1963 Water volume 15,338,693.6 acre ft ( 18.92 km ) Surface elevation historical average of 4,200 feet ( 1,283 m ), 4,190.3 feet ( 1,277 m ) as of 2016 July 7 Islands 8 -- 15 ( variable, see Islands ) Settlements Salt Lake and Ogden metropolitan areas. The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the eighth - largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around 1,700 square miles ( 4,400 km ), but the lake 's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. For instance, in 1963 it reached its lowest recorded size at 950 square miles ( 2,460 km2 ), but in 1988 the surface area was at the historic high of 3,300 square miles ( 8,500 km ). In terms of surface area, it is the largest lake in the United States that is not part of the Great Lakes region. The lake is the largest remnant of Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric pluvial lake that once covered much of western Utah. The three major tributaries to the lake, the Jordan, Weber, and Bear rivers together deposit around 1.1 million tons of minerals in the lake each year. As it is endorheic ( has no outlet besides evaporation ), it has very high salinity ( far saltier than seawater ) and its mineral content is steadily increasing. Due to the high density resulting from its mineral content, swimming in the Great Salt Lake is similar to floating. Its shallow, warm waters cause frequent, sometimes heavy lake - effect snows from late fall through spring. Although it has been called `` America 's Dead Sea '', the lake provides habitat for millions of native birds, brine shrimp, shorebirds, and waterfowl, including the largest staging population of Wilson 's phalarope in the world. Contents 1 Origin 2 History 3 Geography 3.1 Islands 3.2 Lake effect precipitation 4 Hydrology 4.1 Salinity 4.2 1930s Fresh Water Project 4.3 Willard Bay Reservoir 4.4 West Desert Pumping Project 5 Ecosystem 5.1 Pink Floyd the flamingo 5.2 Elevated mercury levels 6 Commerce 6.1 Causeway 6.2 Recreation 6.2. 1 Saltair 6.2. 2 Garfield Beach Resort 7 Legends and unusual features 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Origin The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of a much larger prehistoric lake called Lake Bonneville. At its greatest extent, Lake Bonneville spanned 22,400 square miles ( 58,000 km ), nearly as large as present - day Lake Michigan, and roughly ten times the area of the Great Salt Lake today. Bonneville reached 923 ft ( 281 m ) at its deepest point, and covered much of present - day Utah and small portions of Idaho and Nevada during the ice ages of the Pleistocene Epoch. Lake Bonneville existed until about 16,800 years ago, when a large portion of the lake was released through the Red Rock Pass in Idaho. With the warming climate, the remaining lake began to dry, leaving the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, and Rush Lake behind. History Map showing `` Lake Youta or Salt Lake '' in 1838 when it was in Mexico. From Britannica 7th edition. While the lake was well known by local Native Americans, it entered written history through the records of Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, 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. In 1824, it was observed, apparently independently, by Jim Bridger and Etienne Provost. 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 Lake, 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 the Great Salt Lake, they interpreted the maps to think that `` Timpanogos '' referred to the 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. Fremont 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. Stansbury also published a formal report of his survey work which became very popular. His report of the area included a discussion of Mormon religious practices based on Stansbury 's interaction with the Mormon community in Great Salt Lake City, which had been established three years earlier in 1847. Beginning in November 1895, artist and author Alfred Lambourne spent a year living on the remote Gunnison Island, where he wrote a book of musing and poetry, Our Inland Sea. From November 1895 to March 1896, he was alone. In March, a few guano sifters arrived to harvest and sell the guano of the nesting birds as fertilizer. Lambourne included musings about these guano sifters in his work. Lambourne left the island early in the winter of 1896 along with the first group of guano sifters. Geography Great Salt Lake from airspace over Salt Lake City The Great Salt Lake lends its name to Salt Lake City, originally named `` Great Salt Lake City '' by the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints ( LDS Church ) Brigham Young, who led a group of Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley southeast of the lake on July 24, 1847. The lake lies in parts of five counties : Box Elder, Davis, Tooele, Weber, and Salt Lake. 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 are almost uninhabited. The Bonneville Salt Flats are to the west, and the Oquirrh 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 range in northeastern Utah. The Bear River starts on the north slope of the Uintas and flows north past Bear Lake, 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 River also starts on 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, rather it flows from freshwater Utah Lake, 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. Due to its shallowness, the water level can fall dramatically in dry years and rise during high precipitation years, hence reflecting prolonged drought and wet periods. The lake level change is strongly modulated by the Pacific Ocean through atmospheric circulations that fluctuate at low frequency. By capturing these climate oscillations while using tree - ring reconstruction of lake level, the lake level fluctuation could be predicted onward for 5 -- 8 years. The Utah Climate Center provides prediction of the Great Salt Lake 's annual lake level. This forecast uses central tropical Pacific Ocean temperature, watershed precipitation, tree - ring data of 750 + years, and the lake level itself. Color difference 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 : the northeast arm, northwest arm, and southern. This causeway obstructs the normal mixing of the waters of the lake because there are only three 100 - foot ( 30 m ) breaches. Because no rivers, except a few minor streams, flow directly into the northwest arm, Gunnison Bay, it is now substantially saltier than the rest of the lake. This saltier environment promotes different types of algae than those growing in the southern part of the lake, leading to a marked color difference on the two sides of the causeway. On December 1, 2016, the causeway was open under a newly constructed 180 - foot - long ( 55 m ) bridge that allowed water to flow from the southern arm of the lake into northwest arm. At the time of opening of causeway the northwest arm was nearly three feet lower than the southern arm. As of April 29, 2017, the levels of both arms of the lake have risen due to spring runoff, and the northwestern arm is within one foot of the southern arm. Islands 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 U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. 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 rocks, reefs, or shoals that 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 Antelope Island, Stansbury Island, Fremont Island, Carrington Island, Dolphin Island, Cub Island, and Badger Island, and various rocks, reefs, or shoals with names like Strongs Knob, Gunnison Island, Goose, Browns, Hat ( Bird ), Egg Island, Black Rock, and White Rock. Dolphin Island, Gunnison Island, Cub Island, and Strongs Knob are in the northwestern arm. The rest are in the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake. Sunset viewed from the western shore of Antelope Island. Carrington Island is visible in the distance. Black Rock, Antelope Island, White Rock, Egg Island, Fremont Island, and the Promontory mountain range are each extensions of the Oquirrh Mountain Range, 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 meters ) deep, and an average depth of 13 feet ( four meters ). When the water levels are low, Antelope Island becomes connected to the shore as a peninsula, as do Goose Islands, Browns Island, and some of the other islands. Stansbury Island and Strongs Knob remain peninsulas unless the water level rises well - above the average. Lake effect precipitation Main article : Great Salt Lake effect Due to the warm waters of the Great Salt Lake, lake effect snowfalls are frequent phenomena of the surrounding area. 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 County east and north into central Davis County. 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 snowfalls 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. During summer, the temperature differences can cause thunderstorms to form over the lake and drift eastward along the northern Wasatch Front. Some rainstorms may also be partially attributed to the lake effect in fall and spring. It is estimated that approximately six to eight lake effect snowstorms occur in a year, and that 10 % of the average precipitation of Salt Lake City can be attributed to the lake effect. Hydrology. Map of Great Salt Lake Because of its high salt concentration, the lake water is unusually dense, and most people can float more easily than in other bodies of water, particularly in Gunnison Bay, the saltier north arm of the lake. 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 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, in particular, are 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. A 2014 study used tree rings collected in the watershed of the Great Salt Lake to create a 576 - year record of lake level reconstruction. The lake level change is strongly modulated by Pacific Ocean coupled ocean / atmospheric oscillations at low frequency, and therefore reflects the decadal - scale wet / dry cycles that characterize the region. By capturing these climate oscillations as well as utilizing the tree - ring reconstruction of lake level change, researchers were able to predict the lake level fluctuation onward for as long as 5 -- 8 years. The Great Salt Lake differs in elevation between the south and north parts. The causeway for the Lucin Cutoff divides the lake into two parts. The water - surface elevation of the south part of the lake is usually 0.5 to 2 feet ( 15 -- 61 cm ) higher than that of the north part because most of the inflow to the lake occurs from the south. 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. More salt is added yearly via rivers and streams, though the amount is much less than the relict salt from Bonneville. The salinity of the lake 's main basin, Gilbert Bay, is highly variable and depends on the lake 's level ; it ranges from 5 to 27 % ( 50 to 270 parts per thousand ). For comparison, the average salinity of the world ocean is 3.5 % ( 35 parts per thousand ) and 33.7 % in the Dead Sea. The ionic composition is similar to seawater, much more so than the Dead Sea 's water ; compared to the ocean, Great Salt Lake 's waters are slightly enriched in potassium and depleted in calcium. 1930s fresh water project In the early 1930s there was a project to dam off a third of the lake with dikes on the east side north of Salt Lake City to make a fresh water reservoir for drinking and irrigation. The project was abandoned before it got beyond the planning stage. Willard Bay reservoir Main article : Willard Bay Willard Bay, also known as Willard Bay Reservoir or Arthur V. Watkins Reservoir is a fresh water reservoir, completed in 1964, which separated, drained, and subsequently filled with fresh water from the Weber River, a portion of the Great Salt Lake 's northeastern arm. West Desert Pumping project Record high water levels in the 1980s caused a large amount of property damage for owners on the eastern side of the Great Salt Lake, and the water started to erode the base of Interstate Highway 80. In response, the State of Utah built the West Desert Pumping Project on the western side of the lake. This project consists of a pumping station at Hogup Ridge, containing three pumps with a combined capacity of moving 1,500,000 US gallons per minute ( 95 m / s ) ; an inlet canal ; and an outlet canal. Also, there are 25 miles ( 40 km ) of dikes and a 10 - mile ( 16 km ) access road between the town of Lakeside and the pumping station. This pumping project was designed to increase the surface area of the Great Salt Lake, and thus increase the rate of water evaporation. The pumps drove some of the water of the Great Salt Lake into the 320,000 - acre ( 1300 - square kilometer ) Newfoundland Evaporation Basin in the desert west of the lake. A weir in the dike at the southern end of the Newfoundland Mountains regulated the level of water in the basin, and it sometimes returned salty water from the evaporation basin into the main body of the Great Salt Lake. At the end of their first year of operation, the pumps had removed about 500,000 acre feet ( 620,000,000 m ) of water from the Great Salt Lake. The project was shut down in June 1989 since the level of the lake had dropped by nearly six feet ( 1.8 meters ) since reaching its peak levels during 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 removed 2,730,000 acre feet ( 3.37 km ) of water while they operated. Although the pumps are no longer in use, they have been kept in place in case the level of the Great Salt Lake ever rises that high again. Ecosystem American avocets at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Mountains of the Great Salt Lake in winter. The high salinity in parts of the lake makes them uninhabitable for all but a few species, including brine shrimp, brine flies, and several forms of algae. 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 waterfowl 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 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. There are twenty - seven private duck clubs, seven state waterfowl management areas, and a large federal bird refuge on the Great Salt Lake 's shores. 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 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 islands within the Great Salt Lake also provide habitat for lizard and mammalian wildlife and a variety of plant species. Some species may have been extirpated from the islands. For example, a number of explorers who visited the area in the mid-1800s ( e.g. Emmanuel Domenech, Howard Stansbury, Jules Rémy ) noted an abundance of yellow - flowered `` onions '' on several of the islands, which they identified as Calochortus luteus. This species today occurs only in California, however, at that time the name C. luteus was applied to plants that later were named C. nuttallii A yellow - flowered Calochortus was first named as a variety of C. nuttallii but was later separated into a new species C. aureus. This species occurs in Utah today, though apparently no longer on the islands of the Great Salt Lake. Because of the Great Salt Lake 's high salinity, it has few fish, but they do occur in Bear River Bay and Farmington Bay when spring runoff brings fresh water into the lake. A few aquatic animals live in the lake 's main basin, including centimeter - long brine shrimp ( Artemia franciscana ). Their tiny, hard - walled eggs or cysts ( diameter about 200 micrometers ) are harvested in quantity during the fall and early winter. They are fed to prawns in Asia, sold as novelty `` Sea - Monkeys, '' sold either live or dehydrated in pet stores as a fish food, and used in testing of toxins, drugs, and other chemicals. There are also two species of brine fly as well as protozoa, rotifers, 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 green algae or cyanobacteria ( blue - green algae ) tint the water south of the causeway a greenish color. North of the causeway, the lake is dominated by Dunaliella salina, a species of algae which releases beta - carotene, and the bacteria - like haloarchaea, which together give the water an unusual reddish or purplish color, and the bacteria converts non-toxic mercury into toxic methyl mercury, which then flows into the Southern portion of the lake in a heavy brine layer through the causeway. 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. In the two bays that receive most of the lake 's fresh water inflows, Bear River Bay and Farmington Bay, the diversity of organisms is much higher. Salinities in these bays can approach that of fresh water when the spring snow melt occurs, and this allows a variety of bacteria, algae and invertebrates to proliferate in the nutrient - rich water. The abundance of invertebrates such as gnat larvae ( chironomids ) and back swimmers ( Trichocorixa ) are fed upon extensively by the huge shorebird and waterfowl populations that utilize the lake. Fish in these bays are fed upon by diving terns and pelicans. Pink Floyd the flamingo A solitary Chilean flamingo, named Pink Floyd after the English rock band, wintered at the Great Salt Lake. He escaped from Salt Lake City 's Tracy Aviary in 1987 and lived in the wild, eating brine shrimp 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 ) 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 selenium levels in the lake, discovered some of the highest levels of methyl - mercury they had 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. The extremely high methyl mercury concentrations have been only in the lake 's anoxic deep brine layer ( monimolimnion ) below a depth of 20 ' ( 6 m ), but concentrations are also moderately high up in the water column where there is oxygen to support brine shrimp and brine flies. The finding of high mercury levels prompted further studies and a health advisory warning hunters not to eat common goldeneye or northern shoveler, two species of duck 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 teal. Seven other species of duck were studied and found to have levels of mercury below EPA guidelines, thus being determined safe to eat. A study in 2010 concluded that the main source of the mercury is likely worldwide industry, rather than local sources. As water levels rise and fall, mercury accumulation does as well. About 16 percent of the mercury comes in from rivers, and 84 percent comes from the atmosphere in a non-toxic, inorganic form. The non-toxic mercury is converted into toxic methyl mercury by bacteria which thrive in the more saline water of the North arm affected by the causeway. Commerce Solar evaporation ponds in the Northeast portion of the lake. Fremont Island is visible to the South ( top of image ) Great Salt Lake contributes an estimated $1.3 billion annually to Utah 's economy, including $1.1 billion from industry ( primarily mineral extraction ), $136 million from recreation, and $57 million from the harvest of brine shrimp. Solar evaporation ponds at the edges of the lake produce salts and brine ( water with high salt quantity ). Minerals extracted from the lake include : sodium chloride ( common salt ), used in water softeners, salt lick blocks for livestock, and to melt ice on local roadways ( food - grade salt is not produced from the lake, as it would require further costly processing to ensure its purity ) ; potassium sulfate, used as a commercial fertilizer ; and magnesium - chloride brine, used in the production of magnesium metal, chlorine gas, and as a dust suppressant. US Magnesium operates a plant on the Southwest shore of the lake, which produces 14 percent of the worldwide supply of magnesium, more than any other North American magnesium operation. Mineral - extraction companies operating on the lake pay royalties 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 the lake providing 35 to 45 percent of the worldwide supply of brine shrimp, and 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 East Asia and South America. 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. 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 3,000 barrels ( 480 m ) of crude oil had been produced from shallow wells along the shore. The oil field at Rozel Point produced an estimated 10,000 barrels ( 1,600 m ) of oil from 30 to 50 wells, but has been inactive since the mid-1980s. Oil seeps in the area had been known since the late nineteenth century, and attempts at production began in 1904. Industrial debris from this field remained in place near Spiral Jetty until a cleanup effort by the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining and the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands was completed in December, 2005. Causeway The causeway running across the lake was built in the 1950s by the Morrison - Knudsen construction company for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a replacement to a previously built wooden trestle, and is now owned and operated by Union Pacific. About 15 trains cross the 20 - mile ( 30 km ) causeway each day. Previous to December 2, 2016, the causeway constrained the flow of water between northern and southern parts, which has a significant impact on various industries surrounding the lake. With the construction of a 180 - foot - long ( 55 m ) bridge and the opening of the causeway for water to flow between the arms of the lake, water levels have begun to equalize. The impact of the flow of water from the southern arm of the lake to the northern is yet to be seen. The northern arm of the lake has a much higher salinity, to the point that the native brine shrimp can not survive in its waters. In the southern portion, where the vast majority of the fresh water inlets are found, the salt level can dip below what is necessary for the brine shrimp to survive, while water in the northern bay is too salty. The salinity of northern arm of the lake will likely drop as lower salinity from the southern arm of the lake flows into the northern arm. The brine shrimp harvesting industry could benefit from the causeway allowing a freer flow of water. There were concerns from the brine shrimp harvesting industry that the lake conditions in the southern arm of the lake were becoming too saline for the brine shrimp due to several years of lower precipitation in the lake 's watershed. The precipitation in the watershed has been above normal for the current water year that begins its tracking October 1, 2016. This additional precipitation has allowed the levels of both arms of the lake to rise, and at least for the near future the conditions for a healthy brine shrimp population seem good. Great Salt Lake Minerals Company ( a subsidiary of Compass Minerals ) which extracts minerals from the northern bay. The company potentially benefits from the higher salinity of the northwest arm of the lake but has had difficulties accessing water from the lake because of lower water level. Previous to the opening of the causeway they had had to extend their intake channels to reach the water. Morton Salt, Cargill Salt, Broken Arrow Salt and the Renco Group 's U.S. Magnesium each extract minerals from the southern bay, and could benefit from a more natural mixture of water between the two sides of the lake. Recreation Dramatically fluctuating lake levels have inhibited the creation and success of tourist - related developments. Additionally, there is a problem with pollution from industrial and urban effluent, as well as a natural `` lake stink '' caused by the decay of insects and other wildlife, particularly during times of low water. Despite these issues, 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, wildlife viewing and access to beaches. The State of Utah operates a marina on the south shore of the lake at Great Salt Lake State Park, and another in Antelope Island State Park. With its sudden storms and expansive spread, the lake is a great test of sailing skills. Single mast, simple sloops are the most popular boats. Sudden storms and lack of experience on the part of boatmen are the two most dangerous elements in boating and sailing on the Great Salt Lake. Saltair The original Saltair, c. 1900 Main article : Saltair ( Utah ) Three resorts, each called Saltair, have been operated on the southern shore of the lake since 1893, each one built as a successor to the previous one. Rising and lowering water levels have affected each iteration, and the first two were destroyed by fire. The first Saltair pavilion was destroyed by fire on April 22, 1925. A new pavilion was built and the resort was expanded at the same location by new investors, but after years of various challenges, it was eventually destroyed by an arsonist in 1970. The current Saltair serves as a concert venue. The new resort was completed in 1981, approximately a mile ( 1600 m ) west of the original. The second Saltair included a fun house and a dancing venue. Garfield Beach resort Garfield Beach Resort, late 1800s The Garfield Beach Resort was established by Captain Thomas Douris in 1881 and was originally called Garfield Landing. Located near Black Rock just outside of the town of Corinne, patrons traveled to the resort via a steamboat named `` General Garfield '' in memory of the commander and president James A. Garfield. After the great expansion of the resort, the General Garfield was eventually replaced by two steamers, the Susie Riter and the Whirlwind. The iconic General Garfield was tied to the dock as a landmark. The main attraction of the resort was a massive pavilion located 400 feet from shore. It covered 165 by 400 feet and included 300 feet of covered deck. The success of Garfield Beach eventually overtook the neighboring Black Rock resort. In 1887, the resort was purchased by the Utah and Nevada railroad and they improved the site by adding an extensive array of bathhouses, a restaurant, and other amenities like a bowling alley and venue. The resort was the Salt Lake 's first to have an electric generator which powered its many concerts and parties held on the top of the pavilion tower. Garfield Beach was the most popular Salt Lake resort until Saltair was built in 1893. The resort was eventually put out of service by a fire in 1904. Legends and unusual features Robert Smithson 's Spiral Jetty Spiral Jetty The northwest arm of the lake, near Rozel Point, is the location for Robert Smithson 's work of land art, Spiral Jetty ( 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 sand, which are small, rounded, or spherical grains of sand made up of a nucleus ( generally a small mineral grain ) and concentric layers of calcium carbonate ( lime ) and look similar to very small pearls. Whales in the Great Salt Lake Local legend maintains that in 1875, entrepreneur James Wickham had two whales released into the Great Salt Lake, with the intent of using them as a tourist attraction. The whales are said to have disappeared into the lake and subsequently sighted multiple times over a number of months, but there have never been any confirmed sightings of the whales since the time of their supposed release. 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 crocodile and a horse '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 buffalo in the lake. Thirty years prior, `` Brother Bainbridge '' claimed to have sighted a creature that looked like a dolphin in the lake near Antelope Island. This monster is called by some the North Shore Monster. : See also List of lakes by area Pyramid Lake Neopluvial Mono Lake Salar de Uyuni Notes ^ Jump up to : Great Salt Lake. Encyclopædia Britannica Online ^ Jump up to : Great Salt Lake, Utah. U.S. Geological Survey. Jump up ^ Great Salt Lake -- a lively recreational jewel. Lynn Arave, Deseret News. ^ Jump up to : Birds and Great Salt Lake. U.S. Geological Survey. ^ Jump up to : Morgan, p. 22 Jump up ^ 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. Geological Survey Jump up ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 10, 1971 Jump up ^ Stansbury, Howard ( Army Corps of Engineers ) ( 1852 ). Exploration and survey of the valley of the Great Salt Lake of Utah. Lippincott, Grambo & Co. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 23. Jump up ^ Carter, Lyndia ( June 1996 ). `` Guano Sifters on Gunnison Island ''. History Blazer. Utah State Historical Society. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 30. ^ Jump up to : Great tales surrounding the Great Salt Lake. Lynn Arave, Deseret News. Jump up ^ Bear Lake by the Utah Division of Water Quality ( PDF format ) Jump up ^ Wang, S. - Y., R.R. Gillies, J. Jin, and L.E. Hipps, 2010 : Coherence between the Great Salt Lake level and the Pacific quasi-decadal oscillation, J. Climate, 23, 2161 -- 2177. Jump up ^ Gillies, R.R., O. - Y. Chung, S. - Y. Wang, and P. Kokoszka, 2011 : Incorporation of Pacific SSTs in a time series model towards a longer - term forecast for the Great Salt Lake elevation. J. Hydrometeorology, 12, 474 -- 480. Jump up ^ DeRose, J.R., S. - Y. Wang, B.M. Buckley, and M. Bekker, 2014 : Tree - ring reconstruction of the Great Salt Lake level. The Holocene. DOI : 10.1177 / 0959683614530441 ^ Jump up to : `` USGS Surface - Water Daily Data for the Nation ''. waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 30. Jump up ^ Hassible & Keck, pp. 11 -- 12 Jump up ^ Commonly Asked Questions About Utah 's Great Salt Lake and Ancient Lake Bonneville, pg 05. Utah Geological Survey. ^ Jump up to : Morgan, pp 18 -- 19 Jump up ^ Utah Islands Jump up ^ -- Lake has great impact on storms, weather Archived 2012 - 10 - 02 at the Wayback Machine... Joe Bauman, Deseret Morning News. ^ Jump up to : Can I float in Great Salt Lake ? Archived 2010 - 08 - 15 at the Wayback Machine... Utah Geological Survey. Jump up ^ Morgan ( 1947 ) p. 23 Jump up ^ DeRose et al. 2014 : http://hol.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/04/29/0959683614530441.abstract Jump up ^ `` Multidecadal Drought Cycles in the Great Basin Recorded by the Great Salt Lake : Modulation from a Transition - Phase Teleconnection ''. Journal of Climate. 25 : 1711 -- 1721. doi : 10.1175 / 2011JCLI4225. 1. Jump up ^ `` Coherence between the Great Salt Lake Level and the Pacific Quasi-Decadal Oscillation ''. Journal of Climate. 23 : 2161 -- 2177. doi : 10.1175 / 2009JCLI2979. 1. Jump up ^ `` Incorporation of Pacific SSTs in a Time Series Model toward a Longer - Term Forecast for the Great Salt Lake Elevation ''. Journal of Hydrometeorology. 12 : 474 -- 480. doi : 10.1175 / 2010JHM1352. 1. Jump up ^ `` Added value from 576 years of tree - ring records in the prediction of the Great Salt Lake level ''. Journal of Hydrology. 529 : 962 -- 968. doi : 10.1016 / j. jhydrol. 2015.08. 058. Jump up ^ Utah Climate Center prediction product : https://climate.usurf.usu.edu/GSL.php ^ Jump up to : Commonly Asked Questions About Utah 's Great Salt Lake and Ancient Lake Bonneville, pg 03 Jump up ^ Commonly Asked Questions About Utah 's Great Salt Lake and Ancient Lake Bonneville, pg 02 Jump up ^ `` Ocean Water : Salinity '' Accessed 7 / 31 / 07. `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2012 - 03 - 06. Retrieved 2012 - 03 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Aim To Change Great Salt Lake Into Fresh Water '' Popular Science, May 1932 ^ Jump up to : Hassible & Keck, p. 22 Jump up ^ Fact Sheet : West Desert Pumping Project. Utah Division of Water Resources. Jump up ^ Great Salt Lake Pumping Project. Utah Division of Water Resources. ^ Jump up to : Great Salt Lake Facts. Utah.com. Jump up ^ Utah Wetlands Interpretive Network. Jump up ^ Great Salt Lake, UT -- What Shorebird Species Use This Site ?. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. Jump up ^ Utah 's Great Salt Lake : An Undervalued Resource. FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake. Jump up ^ R657 - 15 -- Closure of Gunnison, Cub and Hat Islands Archived 2006 - 03 - 11 at the Wayback Machine... Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Jump up ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Yellow Mariposa Lily : Calochortus luteus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived 2011 - 10 - 04 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Fiedler, P. ( 1993 ). Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume 26. Zebell. Flora of North America Editorial Committee. Jump up ^ Shultz, L.M. ; R.D. Ramsey ; W. Lindquist ; C. Garrard ( 2010 ). `` Digital Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Utah ''. Utah State University. Retrieved August 7, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Brine Shrimp and Ecology of Great Salt Lake. U.S. Geological Survey. ^ Jump up to : Life in the Great Salt Lake, Weber State University Department of Botany ^ Jump up to : North Arm ( Gunnison Bay ). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. ^ Jump up to : Study says mercury in Great Salt Lake is global problem. John Hollenhorst, KSL Jump up ^ Could Pink Floyd Be Sick. KSL.com. Jump up ^ Speckman, Stephen ( 2004 - 01 - 12 ). `` Floyd may get some pink feathered friends ''. Deseret News. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ A Flamingo Flies the Coop to Fame. The Christian Science Monitor. Jump up ^ Feeling Blue About Pink Floyd. The Deseret News. Jump up ^ Reader Tips. Roadside America. Archived December 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Toxic mercury lurking in Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake Tribune. Jump up ^ Utah Waterfowl Advisory. Utah Office Of Epidemiology. Jump up ^ High mercury levels found in two duck species. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Jump up ^ Duck mercury advisories revised. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. ^ Jump up to : Great Salt Lake causeway sinks, prompting emergency repairs. Judy Fahys, The Salt Lake Tribune ^ Jump up to : `` Great Salt Lake an economic powerhouse for the state '' Judy Fahys, Salt Lake Tribune Jump up ^ What minerals are produced from Great Salt Lake ?. Utah Geological Survey. Jump up ^ Salt Lake Valley 's Leap of Faith Lisa Moore LaRoe, National Geographic. Jump up ^ South Arm ( Gilbert Bay ). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Jump up ^ Hassible & Keck, p. 20 Jump up ^ `` Bubblin ' Crude '' at Rozel Point, Box Elder County, Utah. Mark Milligan, Utah Geological Survey Jump up ^ Rozel Point and Spiral Jetty Revisited, Box Elder County, Utah. Mark Milligan, Utah Geological Survey ^ Jump up to : Union Pacific causeway upgrade proposal could change colors of the Great Salt Lake. John Hollenhorst, Deseret News Jump up ^ Great Salt Lake. Utah.com Jump up ^ Stum, Marlin ; Dan Miller ( 1999 ). Visions of Antelope Island and Great Salt Lake. Utah State University Press. p. 4. ISBN 0 - 87421 - 269 - 3. Retrieved 2009 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ Peter G., Czerny ( 1976 ). The great Great Salt Lake. Brigham Young University Press. p. 4. ISBN 0 - 8425 - 1073 - 7. Retrieved 2009 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ Strack, Don. `` Salt Lake, Garfield & Western Railway ''. Retrieved 14 April 2011. Jump up ^ Utah History Encyclopedia. `` Saltair ''. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011. Jump up ^ Saltair Resort. Utah City Guide. ^ Jump up to : `` Resorts flourished at Great Salt Lake during the 1800s ''. DeseretNews.com. 29 March 1998. ^ Jump up to : Morgan, Dale ( 1995 ). The Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City : University of Utah Press. Jump up ^ `` Tooele County Guide to Historical Attractions - Great Salt Lake Beaches ''. www.co.tooele.ut.us. Jump up ^ Ison, Yvette. `` The Steamboat Era Was Glamorous But Very Brief in Utah ''. historytogo.utah.gov. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Jump up ^ Pink Water, White Salt Crystals, Black Boulders, and the Return of Spiral Jetty ! Archived 2008 - 05 - 06 at the Wayback Machine... William F. Case, Utah Geological Survey. Jump up ^ What are the round, white sand grains that make up the beaches ?. Utah Geological Survey. Jump up ^ http://biologylabs.utah.edu/rose/about_us_location_salt_lake_city.html Jump up ^ http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3440548&itype=NGPSID References Morgan, Dale L. ( 1947 ). The Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City : University of Utah Press. ISBN 0 - 87480 - 478 - 7 W.R. Hassible and W.G. Keck ( 1993 ), The Great Salt Lake. U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Government Printing Office : 1993 0 -- 337 -- 928 : QL 2 Czerny, Peter G. ( 1976 ). The great Great Salt Lake. Provo, Utah : Brigham Young University Press. ISBN 0 - 8425 - 1073 - 7 External links External images map ( FWS.gov ) map ( Friends of GSL map ( MrHall.com ) map ( USGS.gov ) daily surface level volume & area vs surface level photographic survey NASA images research images ( Westminster edu ) boating images ( UTAH.com ) gulls Media related to Great Salt Lake at Wikimedia Commons Texts on Wikisource : `` Great Salt Lake ''. The New Student 's Reference Work. 1914. `` Great Salt Lake ''. Encyclopædia Britannica ( 11th ed. ). 1911. `` Great Salt Lake ''. New International Encyclopedia. 1905. `` Great Salt Lake ''. The American Cyclopædia. 1879. 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. 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Question: where does the great salt lake get its water
Answer: Bear, Jordan, Weber rivers