The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-04
THE GREAT SALT LAKE.
Clogging of the Salt Rocks Causes Loss
of Saline Strength.
(Fron,the Philadelphia Times

The Great Salt Lake is two feet lower
today than ever before known in the his
tory of Utah, and according to competent
observers 1t is rapidly changing it's sonief
characteristic and turning into an inland
sea of fresh water. Every fall the lake is
several feet lower than in the spring. but
this year the sswaters have subsidized to
such an extent that many of the bathing
pavilions and lighthouses are left high and
dry uponathe beach. 1t has always been
believed by experts that the lake had an
underground outlet, but nosexplorer has
yet been fortunate enough to discover
any. 1t is supposed, however, that OUT
let's exist, and that during the last six
months they have gained noticeably upon
the springs which supply the lake.
On the northern slopes of the lakes
shores and down the western border are
numberless springs which have always
run pure. brine into the inland sea. These
springs evidently come through immense
rooks.of salt in the earth, and by wash
ing through them they make the spring
water. intensely briny by the time it
reaches the surface. There have been
signs OF. a change In these springs in re-
cent years. Several times they have
ceased to flow as rapidly as usual, and the
water they poured up appeared fresher.
They have now become partly choksd up,
either with rocks or salt, and they no
longer give the same supply of salt water
as they did years ago. In several other
places-notably on East Antelope, within
fifteen feet of thezbrimming lake basin
theresare many fresh water springs that
gush up at all seasons of the year and
pour intoIthe lake. These fresh water
springs have become larger and more
powerful since the salt water springs be-
came clogged up, and it is supposed the
underground reservoir of water, diverted
from its usual course, is now seeking an
adequate outlet through the springs
VIII ere no salt rocks exist
Ii this theory is correct, tie Great Salt
Lake will gradually turn to fresh water,
and the surface will continue to fall until
the winter and spring freshets from the
mountains fill it again. This Traditional
water will add no salt. to the great sea,
but make it fresher than ever. 1t has
been well known for many years that the
Great Salt Lake is fresher in the early
spring than in the summer, and the phe-
nomenon is probably caused by the addi-
tion of great quantities of.water from the
SHOWS and streams of the mountains.
Thess engaged in manufacturing salt on
the lake say that it takes six gallons of
water to make one gallon of salt in the
summer and fall Ebut that In early spring
1t often takes seven and even eight gal
Ions to make the same quantity.
There are three large streams empty ing
into the Great Salt Lake--the Bears
Weber. and Jordan rivers-but they make
no appreciable difference in the saltines.
of the lake, except early in the spring,
when they carry the melting SHOWS of the
mountains down to the lake. So long as
the underground springs of salt continued
| to pour their b inc into the lake 1t re-
CURED an immense volume of fresh water
to neutralize them.
The Great Salt Lake is seventy miles
long and fifty miles across in its widest
part, and it has an area of 1000 square
miles. Another peculiar change that has
taken place in the lake is the gradual up
heaval OF the bottom. In recent years its
greatest depth has not exceeded forty
feet, while the average depth is only from
Twelve to twenty. Fifty years ago the
botSem could not be sounded In places,
and lines 10e feet long failed to strike
bottom.