Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-01-07
UTAH'S DEAD SEA.
Gradual Changes In Great Salt
Lake and Their Causes.
Very respectfully,
w. w. ScoTT.

UIhH'S DEAD SEA.
Gradual Changes In Great Salt
Lake and Their Causes.
The Great Salt Lake is two feet
lower to-day than ever before known
in the history of the Utah, and, &C.
cording to competent observers, it is
rapidly changing its chief characters.
tic and turning into an inland sea OF
fresh water, says a writer in the
Philadelphia Times. Every fall the
lake is several feet lower than in the
spring, but this year the waters have
subsidized to such an extent that many
OF the bathing pavilions and boat
houses are left high and dry upon the
beach. 1t has always been believed by
experts that the lake had an under
ground outlet, but no explorer has yet
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 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 surface
there have been signs of change in
these springs in recent years. Several
times they have ceased to flow as rapid
ly as usual and the water they poured
up appeared fresher. They have now
become partly choked up by either
rocks or salt, and they no longer give
the same supply ofisalt water as they
did years ago. In several other places
notably of East Antelope, within Is
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
become clogged up, and it is supposed
the underground reservoir of water,
diverted from its usual coarse, is now
seeking 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 it again.
This additional water will add no salt
to the great sea, but makes it fresher
than ever. It 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
is 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 pound of
salt in the 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 empty
ing into the Great Salt lake-the Bear,
Weber and Jordan rivers-but they
make no appreciable difference in the
saI.iness of the lake, except early in
the spring, when they carry the melt
ing snow 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 re-
quired an immense volume of fresh
water to neutralize their effect.
The Great Salt lake is 70 miles long
and 80 miles across in its widest part.
Another peculiar change that has
taken place in the lake is the gradual
upheaval of the bottom. In recent
years the greatest depth has not ex-
ceeded 40 feet, while the average
depth is only from - to 20 feet. Fifty
years ago the bottom could not be
sounded in places, and lines 100
feet long failed to strike bottom.