The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-17
WATER IN THE GREAT SALT
LAKE HAS BEGUN TO RISE
Level of the Inland Sea Is One Inch Above the
Mark Registered Two Weeks Ago.
Predicted That 1t Will Continue Until It Reaches Point Where
There Win Be Bathing at SaItsir Pavilion.

a FTER receding to the lowest point
n on record. the water level of the
Great Salt lake has again begun
10 rise The water is now one inch
higher than it was two weeks ago. and
the indications are that it will con-
tinue to rise until the old level is re-
gained A rise Of two feet Will bring
the water back to SaItair, and two feet
more of water viii restore bathing
about the pavilion.
From present indications Section Di-
rector Murdoch of the bureau believes
that the water may reach the pavilion
by summer and another wet winter Will
put the water at a height that viii give
bathing depth all about the bath
houses. 1t is believed that the cycle
or dry seasons that has caused the
falling of the lake has been completed
and that now it may rise even to a
higher point than it has reached for
some years.
If such is the case the sudden
change in the behavior of the lake is
o. no little Importance. A rise suffi-
Gent to bring the water back to the
pavilion, Will, of course, do away with
the necessity of constructing the pro-
posed wall about Saltair to furnish
bathing there and save the work and
expense OF making an Improvement
that would be vaIueless if the water
level does gain it's old point. A rise
OF one inch month from now until the
opening of spring is confidently ex-
pected. and with the opening of the
wet season, if the lake does as il has
done I'm the past. rise of from one to
TWO feet may be expected within a
month
Depends Upon Precipitation.
The permanency and continuation of
this rise will, of course. depend upon
the conditions of precipitation the fol-
lowing winter. If the dry cycle which
seemingly has been experienced
throughout the world. has been broken,
as the indications seem TO point out.
what the waters of the lake may do
may be a surprise, according TO the
statements of those who have made a
study OF conditions not only here, but
Throughout the country
For the past two or three years
the lake has been going down at the
rate OF Two inches a mouth until the |
record breaking level of three feet and |
six inches below zero was reached a |
month ago. said Mr. Murdoch yes /
Ierday. Then there came change. |
The measurement taken two weeks ago !
1T will be remembered showed that for |
two weeks the level remained at the (
same point
AT that time it was predicted that /
chanSe mad come and that the lake /
would begin to rise The regular meas /
urement taken Thursday and received /
at the weather Office yesterday, showed !
TINS prediction to be correct The water
had risen one inch in two weeks. maxi
ing the reading three feet and five
inches below zero. This gain is at the
same rate at which the water had been
IaiIln2, and 1t is reasoned that the gain
VIII continue at she same ratio at least
until the wet season opens. when. of
ow."
Predicts Rapid Rise.
This rapid rise, according to Mr..
Aurdoch, should come during the
previous years repeat themselves In
1891 the lake rose two feet and two
inches between the 18th of February
and the 1st of March. A reference to
Inc records show that almost every (
year during the month of February l
mere IS decided rise in the lake For
several years past. though dry winters {
have followed these rises. and the tenn Z
porary gain was Overbalanced by the ]
continued deficiency in precipitation, {
until the lake was reduced to the level {
which it attained I
During the present winter con- {
ihued Mr.. Murdoch, conditions have I
leen diHerent, and it is argued that
" nile the precipitation during the 7
present winter has not reached The / i
lormal, yet il is far above the records ( +
; the past few years, and as the level v
2 the lake is but gauge of the rain S
all, the increase in precipitatiOn r1ust Z