Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-22
Peculialities of Salt Lake, Utah,


The size of the lake. is about eighty
miles from east to west by 100 miles from
north to south. Small parties may enjoy
themselves on the water in boats. and
bathing may be INDUCED in without any
danger OF sinking, by reason Of the buoy
ancy Of the water. The water is, in fact,
a strong brine, in which common table
salt, chloride of sodium, is the principal
constituent. The lake is situated at the
lowest level Of Great Salt Lake Basin. and
is the receptacle of all the water that is
brought down the mountain. The names
of the rivers are the Jordan, which flows
through Salt Lake Valley from the south ::
the " eber, which flows through CANYON
on the east of the lake, and Bear River,
which empties into it on the north. The
lake has no outlet. Its waters are grad
ually carried off by evaporation. Of late
years the water brought down has ex
ceeded in quantity that carried off by
evaporation, for which reason the waters
are higher than usual During the last
year an elevation of thirteen inches was
indicated by the gauge erected by the
university OF this city for the purpose of
recording any changes of level. The size
OF the lake varies according to the amount
Of rainfall and evaporation.
g BY a recent exploration at one point of
the western shores, it is found that the
lake has extended itself about fifteen miles
inland beyond the lines marked at the
time of Stansbury's survey in 1749.
There are no forms of life in the lake,
except small creatures three quarters of
an inch in length, resembling the brine
shrimp. These are found in the warm
season in great abundance There is also
a species of weed that floats about in the
heavy waters, that abounds in minute in
sect life. The tiny shrimp alluded to is
an object of much interest to visitors and
the naturalist, by whom it is called
AftenaOG ,ftrtiLiS. Observations are now
being made by scientists with view to
determine the various forms of life which
have their origin in hist Lakeland it is
highly probable that it will be found that
this body of water will no longer merit
the name of the g Dead Sea" OF America.
When these valleys were first settled by
the MormOns, the level of the lake was so
low that people could walk over from the
present shores to the adjacent island at a
place where there is now fourteen feet Of
water. That was in 1917 From 1852 to
1896 the waters rose some six feet. From
that date to 1861 the waters subsidized and
the lake became contracted to its usual
size. From that date there has been an
upheaval tendency, until in 1S74-75 the
waters had risen some twelve feet In
consequence of this, many thousand acres
Of valuable farm and pasturage lands
were covered by the water, and continue
to he 50. During the last year, the fur
Their rise of thirteen inches has caused
large quantity OF. land to be covered on
the east shores of the lake.
The mean elevation of Great Salt Lake
above the sea-level, as given in the
Governments reports, is 1920 feet-that
Of this city, at the base. line, is 4 800 feet;
so there is no danger Of an intimidation
here, except in the lower wards of the
city, where the lands are now occasion
ally Hooded for a season, when the snow
in the mountains is melting rapidly. 1t
has been suggested that an outlet might
possibly be made on the western shores
for conveying away the surplus waters,
where they would be absorbed and dissi-
pated on the great western desert which
exists there. The recent exploration
made was not carried far enough to as
certain whether this is practicable or not.
The principal Inconvenience sustained at
present by the uprise and expansion of
the area of the lake is the destruction of
valuable lands on its margin, and the dense
fOgs which envelop the lake and its banks
at times by the partial condensation of the
evaporating waters into vapor Salt Lake
Tribune. ....