The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-19
LOOKING INTO
FALL OF LAKE
Investigation Being Made by
Section Director Murdoch.
BASED ON GROWTH OF BRUSH
no REMAIN AT PRESENT LEVEL
FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS.

A NOVEL. line Of investigation that
~ NAV throw some light on the mys-
FERROUS fluctuations OF Great salt
lake has been begun by Section Direc-
Tor Murdoch of the local weather ou-
reau. BY determining how much time
must elapse before sage brush ana
grease wood can grow upon the banks
of the lake, left dry by the recedihs
waters. an estimate is 20 be MADE oi
how long the lake has remained AT
low level in times gone by ana some
calculation made as 10 how long nc
lake may be expected TO remain III TIC
level which Il has attained now
His investigations so far Indicate
that IL the lake does as 1t evidently ala
before these valleys were settled, the
present low level viii maintain Tor at
least seventeen years. It has been
claimed by old residents that the lake
rises and fails in cycles Of thirty-Iour
wears. and these investigations seem
L. strengthen this common belief
Mr.. Murdoch's Investigations are
based entirely upon the growth OF veg
citation on the shore line, and THIS
method seems 10 be quite accurate The
deductions made by Mr.. Murdoch are
made from these facts. The level OF
The lake Is known 10 have been Just
about the same as IL is now in 1871,
when the pioneers first settled IN these
valleys. Gilbert the geologist, who
made a study of the great lake and
ahe surrounding country about tha'
time, states that In lS4I sage brush
and grease wood were growing down
10 the storm line OF the shOre-that is,
the salt wafer
when the waves were blown over the
bank By storm winds.
Storm Line Varies.
This line Is said 70 have varied from
three feet on steep banks 10 ten OF
fifteen feet on the more level shores
Gilbert estimated that in order FOL
these plants to have been enabled Il
grow upon the salt-soaked bank
they must have been above the waite
level FOR from forty to 100 years. tina
The rains could have washed the banks
sufficiently free from salt for thes'
salt-loving plants TO grow. From thes
estimates he concluded that the lax
had been at the level II then stood a
for perhaps a century
In 1876 the level of the lake reaches
the highest point that is on record
and the vegetation that had grow
upon the banks before was. Of course
killed. Since that year the water ha
gradually receded. until Il has reached
the point at which il now stands. Tn
recession OF the waters since tina
known time has. of course. furnishes
an opportunity 10 determine exaetl'
the tine necessary for sage brush I
grow upon the unsubmerged banks.
Growth of Vegetation.
Investigations made by Mr.. Murdoc
show that this class OF vegetation
growing over the banks from the waite
line Of 1876 down 10 the water line c
1885. From the latter date 10 the pres
emit time is just seventeen years, show
ing that only seventeen years OF tina
time Is required for the unsubmerge
banks 10 become vegetation support
ing. From this Mr.. Murdoch argue
that the water level found when IN
valley was settled must have been a
that level for at least seventeen years
but not necessarily for any create
length of time.
These facts, taken in connection wit
the records OF the lake level. whic
seem 10 indicate that there has bee
rise and fall In a rough cycle {
thirty-fOur years. Is taken 10 indical
that we may have the present level Il
seventeen years. The level taken ye:
teTday was two feet and eleven inchs
below zero,