Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
GREAT SALT LAKE.


C10gEfng Of the Salt Rocks Causes n
Loss Of Saline Strength.
From the Philadelphia Times
The Great Salt Lake is two feet lower to-
day than ever before known in the history
of Utah. and according to competent OBJ
servers 1t is rapidly changing its chief
characteristic and turning into an inland
sea OF fresh water. Every fall the lake is
several feet ,ower than In the spring, but
this year the waters have subsidized to such
an extent that many of the bathing pavil-
ions and boat houses are left high and dry
upon the beach. 1t has always been be-
neved by experts tfat the lake had an un-
derground outlet. but no explorer has vet
been fortunate enough to discover any, 1t
is supposed. however. that outlets exist and
that during the last six months they have
gained noticeably upon the springs which
supply the lake with its water.
On the northern slopes of the lakes shores
ana GOWN the western border are number
less springs which have always run pure
prime into the inland sea. These springs
evidently come through immense rocks of
sait IL the earth, and by washing through
them they make the spring water intensely
priny py the time 1t reaches the surface
ihere nave been signs of change in these
springs in recent years. Several times they
nave ceased to flow as rapidly as usual and
the water they poured up appeared fresher.
Iney have Lew become partly choked up
either with rocks or salt, and they no long
er give the same supply of salt water as
they did years ago. In several other places
NOTABLY on East Antelope, within fifteen
teet OF the trfmming 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 be-
come larger and more powerful since the
salt water springs became clogged up. and
1t Is supposed the underground reservoir
OF water. diverted from it's usual course is
now seeking an adequate outlet through
the springs where no salt rocks exist.
II 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. viii 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 phenomenon
rs probably caused by the addition of great
Quantities of water from the SHOWS and
streams of the mountains Those 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 but
that in early spring it often takes seven
and even eight gallons to make the same
quantity of salt.
There are three large streams emptying
into the Great Salt Lake-the Bear. Weber
and Jordan rivers-but they make no an
preciable difference in the saltiness 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 under
ground springs of salt continued to pour
their brine into the lake it required an
immense volume of fresh water to neutral
ize their effect.
me Great Salt Lake is seventy miles long
and fifty miles across in its widest part and
1t has an area of 1900 square miles. An
other 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 av-
erage depth is only from twelve to twenty
Fifty years ago the bottom could not be
sounded in places, and lines hundred feet
long failed to strike bottom.