Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-18
THE GREAT SALT LAKE.
RAPIDLY TURNING INTO AN INLAND
SEA OF FRESH WATER.

Cogging Of the Salt Rocks Causes Loss
Of Saline Strength In Utah's Natural
wonder-An Underground Reservoir
OF springs-Peculiarity of the Lake.
The Great Salt Lake is two feet
lower to-day than ever before known
in the history of Utah, and, according
to competent observers, it is rapidly
changing its chief 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 waters have subsidized to such
IN extent that many of the bathing
pavilions and lighthouses are left high
ind dry upon the beach. 1t has al
ways been believed by experts that the
H. ,.--!s a--o-~--.H ""ti.t, put
no explorer has yet been fortunate
enough to discover any. 1t is sup
posed, however, that outlets 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 rocks of salt in the
earth, and by washing through them
they make the spring water intensely
briny by the time it reaches the sur
faces. There have been signs of
change in these springs in recent
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 choked
up, either with rocks or salt, and they
no longer give the same supply OF salt
water as they did years ago. In sew
eral other places-notably on East
Antelope, within fifteen feet of the
brimming lake basin-there are many
fresh water springs that gush up at all
seasons of the year and pour into the
lake. These fresh water springs have
become larger and more powerful
since the salt water springs became
clogged up, and it is supposed the
underground reservoir ofwater, divert
ed from its usual course, is now seek
ing an adequate outlet through the
springs where no salt rocks exist.
If this theory is correct, the 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 1T
again. This additional 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 phenom-
enon is probably caused by the addi-
ton of great quantities OF water from
the SHOWS and streams of the mount
aims. Those engaged in manufactur-
lug ealt UIi tue lake say that 1t takes
six gallons of water to make one gal
lon OF salt in the summer and fall, but
that in the early spring it often takes
seven and even eight gallons to make
the same quantity.
There are three large streams emp
tying into the Great Salt Lake-the
Bear, Weber and Jordan Rivers-but
they make no appreciable difference
in the saltiness of tho 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 brine into the lake it re-
quired 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 upheaval 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 bottom
could not be sounded in places, and
lines 100 feet long failed to strike bot
tom.-Philadelphia Times.