Great Salt Lake State Park - Visitor Information | Utah.com Visit website Request Info & Brochure The Great Salt Lake is one of the most asked-about tourist destinations in Utah. A remnant of the massive ancient Lake Bonneville, the lake is now landlocked and its waters are salty. It is the largest lake between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean, and is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Legends abound about the lake. Early explorers thought the lake was an inland extension of the Pacific Ocean, or that a river connected the lake to the ocean. Some Indians and early settlers thought the lake was inhabited by a terrible monster with an enormous head. The lake and its legends are an intriguing part of Utah's landscape and history. Recreation Excellent views of the lake are available from: Ensign Peak on the north edge of Salt Lake City Bench areas in the cities of Bountiful, Centerville and Farmington Trails on Antelope Island Interstate 80 along the lake's south shoreline Swimming and sunbathing are popular on the clean, white sand beaches at Antelope Island State Park. The salinity of the water averages about 12%, making it much saltier than the ocean.

The water is so buoyant that people can easily float. Freshwater showers are available to rinse off after swimming. Sailing is very popular on the lake and full-service marinas are available at Antelope Island and Great Salt Lake State Marina on the south shore. On overcast days, the horizon on the lake blends into the sky and the landscape takes on a surreal look: skimming sailboats and the lake's distant islands appear to float midair. However, the lake is shallow (average depth about 20 feet) and even moderate winds can cause rough water. Experience is needed to navigate the lake. Powerboats can also operate on the lake. Motors not rated for saltwater need to be flushed carefully after use. Many people also kayak on the lake. Wildlife is abundant on Antelope Island and in the lake's shoreline marshes. Bison, antelope, deer, bobcats, coyotes, and elk roam freely on the island and are often seen by visitors. Bird watching is popular at many spots around the lake, including the federally managed Bear River Bird Refuge and the state's Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. The lake's marshes attract large numbers of migratory birds.

Duck and goose hunting is allowed in some areas and is usually very good. Kayaking on the Great Salt Lake is a great way to see some of the areas that you normally wouldn't see. With 10,000 miles of shoreline it can be one of the most rewarding places to paddle in North America. Mountain biking is popular on excellent trails on Antelope and Stansbury islands. These areas also offer excellent hiking. Antelope Island also offers excellent facilities for picnicking and camping. Fish live in the freshwater marshes and inlets, but no fish species can survive in the lake's salty water. Unique brine shrimp thrive in the lake; they are harvested and processed into fish food. Brine flies live on the lake's shorelines and can be annoying. They don't bite but often swarm around humans. Antelope Island beaches are relatively free of brine flies. Winds coming off the lake can carry a "lake stench" at some times of the year. Again, the odor is usually not a problem at Antelope Island.

History The Great Salt Lake is actually the remainder of prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which covered some 20,000 square miles of land in what is now Utah, Nevada and Idaho some 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. The present lake is about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, with a maximum depth of 33 feet. After a series of wet years, the lake's surface area may be much larger but it will be only a little bit deeper. Water levels in the lake are far from constant. During its recorded low in 1963, some of the lake's 10 major islands became peninsulas. In 1983, when the lake reached its historic high, it flooded houses, farmland and the nearby freeway. Huge pumps were constructed to deposit excess water into Utah's west desert. The pumps were shut down in 1989. Four rivers and numerous streams empty into the Great Salt Lake, carrying dissolved minerals. The lake has no outlet so these minerals are trapped. Continual evaporation concentrates the minerals. Several businesses extract table salt and other chemicals from the lake water.

Park Information There are two Utah State Parks on the Great Salt Lake: Antelope Island State Park and Great Salt Lake State Park. Antelope Island offers clean beaches, a visitor center, marina, historic ranch house, bison and camping. The Great Salt Lake Park offers a marina, with boat launching facilities. Getting There The Great Salt Lake is located north and west of Salt Lake City. To reach Antelope Island, drive north on I-15 to Syracuse, then west on U-127, following the signs. A causeway has been built to allow automobile access to the island. Great Salt Lake State Park is located at the south end of the lake and about 16 miles west of Salt Lake City, along I-80. Great Salt Lake | lake, Utah, United States | Britannica.com Great Salt Lake list of cities and towns in the United States Great Salt Lake, lake in northern Utah , U.S. , the largest inland body of salt water in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most saline inland bodies of water in the world. The lake is fed by the Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers and has no outlet.

The lake has fluctuated greatly in size, depending on the rates of evaporation and the flow of the rivers that feed it. Its surface area has varied from about 2,400 square miles (6,200 square km) at its highest levels in 1873 and the mid-1980s to about 950 square miles (2,460 square km) at its lowest level in 1963. At high level the lake’s surface is 4,212 feet (1,284 metres) above sea level , and at low level it is 4,191 feet (1,277 metres). At times of median water level, the lake is generally less than 15 feet (4.5 metres) deep, with a maximum depth of 35 feet (11 metres). Like the Dead Sea , the Great Salt Lake exists within an arid environment and has chemical characteristics similar to that of the oceans. It has a much greater salinity than the oceans, however, since natural evaporation exceeds the supply of water from the rivers feeding the lake.

Surrounded by great stretches of sand, salt land, and marsh, the Great Salt Lake remains eerily isolated from the nearby cities, towns, and other human habitations, though in recent years means have been found to turn its apparent sterility to a profit in both economic and recreational terms. It has become important not only as a source of minerals but also as a beach and water-sports attraction and a wildlife preserve. Geologic and human history The Great Salt Lake is the largest of the lake remnants of prehistoric freshwater Lake Bonneville , the others being Bear Lake, on the Utah-Idaho border, and Utah Lake , west of Provo , Utah. Formed late in the Pleistocene Epoch about 30,000 years ago, Lake Bonneville at high water covered almost 20,000 square miles (52,000 square km) of present-day western Utah and also extended into modern Nevada and Idaho . During succeeding glacial periods, large quantities of freshwater entered this intermontane basin and drained out through the Snake River—ultimately into the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean . During the interglacial and postglacial periods, however, water levels decreased and the outflows were cut off.

Water, therefore, could escape only through evaporation, and the mineral salts from the inflowing rivers remained trapped in the lake. Similar Topics Lake Superior The lake appeared on 18th-century maps of the continent through reports of explorer-trappers and Indian tales as a semilegendary body alternately named Timpanogos or Buenaventura, depending on the source. The first white explorers whose accounts are fully credited were the trappers Étienne Provost and Jim Bridger , who came upon the lake independently in 1824–25. More detailed investigations were made by Captain John C. Frémont in 1843 and 1845. The Mormons’ settlement in 1847 of their “promised land,” on the nearby site of Salt Lake City , brought the region more fully into national awareness. The lake was surveyed in 1850, and in 1869 the last spike of America’s first transcontinental railroad was driven near the lake’s northeastern shore. The study of the Great Basin region by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1890 was an important source of information about the lake, and later studies have been led by that agency.

Surface features and chemistry The lake’s basin is defined by the foothills of the Wasatch Range to the north, east, and south and by the Great Salt Lake Desert, a remnant of the bed of Lake Bonneville, to the west. The part of this desert known as the Bonneville Salt Flats has become an automobile raceway, the site of many trials for world land-speed records. The lake’s varying shoreline consists of beaches, marshes, and mudflats. The 30-mile- (48-kilometre-) long Lucin Cutoff , an east-west causeway laid down for a rail line in 1959, connects the cities of Ogden and Lucin, splits the lake, and affects the water level. Because the lake’s main tributaries enter from the south, the water level of the southern section is several inches higher than that of the northern part. Eleven small islands, the largest of which are Antelope and Fremont, lie south of the cutoff.

The Great Salt Lake’s record high levels in the mid-1980s threatened the Lucin Cutoff, highways, and sewage-treatment plants along the shore, and in 1987 pumps were installed that began draining some of the lake’s excess waters into the Great Salt Lake Desert to the west. The resulting new body of water was called the Newfoundland Evaporation Basin. Britannica Stories Visit The Great Salt Lake: Home Visit the Great Salt Lake An all-encompassing resource to help you plan your journey in, around, and above Great Salt Lake. Dip your toes or float in Great Salt Lake Photo ©Paul Harrison With Inland Sea temperatures still low it is too cold to go floating in the Great Salt Lake right now. After the Summer Solstice in June you will find the water temperatures much more appealing. When you are ready, the best spots to dip your toes are at the Great Salt Lake Marina, Black Rock, and Antelope Island. It is important to remember any clothing that gets wet from the Lake water will dry stiff because of all of the salt. You will find freshwater to rinse off with at the Great Salt Lake Marina as well as the Antelope Island Marina.

Birdwatch photo © Nicole Anderson The Lake has many great spots to appreciate the wildness that over 250 species of birds bring to this place. Take part in birdwatching around the Lake at some of our favorite places: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge , Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve , Audubon Lee Creek Area , Antelope Island , Great Salt Lake Nature Center at Farmington Bay . The causeway to Antelope Island is a great place to view Eared Grebes, Gulls, and American Avocets. We list all the Lake related birdwatching trips on our calendar of events. To learn more about birdwatching or to find out about other local birdwatching trips, visit the sites of Great Salt Lake Audubon and Wasatch Audubon. The annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival takes place May 16-20, 2013. Registration begins on March 1, 2013. We love this festival because of the many, many field trips that include trips to areas that are not open to the public. Their site is full of information about birding in Utah.

Biking We have enlisted the help of Chad Harris, an avid biker to assist us in providing you the most up to date resources regarding bike riding and the Great Salt Lake. He has ridden the circumference of the Lake as well as been on most of the trails around Great Salt Lake. You will have the opportunity to take part in both road biking as well as mountain biking. We are looking for more information on mountain bike trails that have views of the Lake - so please contact us at explore@visitthegreatsaltlake.com if you know of a trail or route we don't have listed. South Shore - Park at the Great Salt Lake Marina to ride round-trip along the frontage road that runs parallel to I-80. This route runs east/west so plan your sunrise/sunset timing. There is a $2.00 fee for parking at the Great Salt Lake Marina State Park. We encourage proper payment. Antelope Island Causeway - This route is flat and great for roadies. It has great scenery and birds galore, but it is also where we have the most "Lake Stink" so be prepared because somedays it can be a little overwhelming but the views are well worth it.

There are several ways to go once you are on Antelope Island and if the smell of the causeway bothers you, it might be best to park on the island and go from there. There is a $9.00 fee per car and a $3.00 fee per cyclist to head across the causeway to Antelope Island State Park and, as usual, we encourage proper payment at all parks. View Wildlife One of the best places to view the abundant wildlife at Great Salt Lake is Antelope Island State Park . Remember that Bison are wild animals and can charge if disturbed from a sound sleep at a speed of 30 mph! Our favorite saying is "Antelope Island is not a petting zoo." Wildlife on Antelope Island includes: Bison, pronghorn antelope (of course), mule deer, fox, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, porcupines, jackrabbits, and more. We suggest going to the visitor center and ask what's around... and remember the part about this not being a petting zoo!

Take a Hike Photo © Cindy Lund There are hiking trails all around Great Salt Lake as well as some pretty spectacular hikes in the Wasatch Mountain which offer breathtaking views of the Lake. One of our favorites is the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. We are in the process of developing a Google map, similar to the one at the top of the page, listing all of the trail heads and then including information about each hike. With the help of Wendy Wilson, Naturalist for Antelope Island, we will have this information, and the beginning of our Google map soon. Go on a Scenic Drive Photo ©Paul Harrison There are many beautiful locations to go on a senic drive around Great Salt Lake. Just remember to always take provisions, make sure your gas tank is full, and have some great tunes in the car. Hold on to your seats because you are in for an adventure! Saftey note: NEVER drive on the Lake bed playa, not only is it against the law with a $750 fine; you will most likely get stuck in the mud. Witness a Sunset photo © Paul Harrison Sunsets at the Great Salt Lake are some of the most amazing you will see anywhere in Utah.

Some of our favorite places are of course from a sailboat or airboat; yet you can also get a great photo or a romantic evening from the shorelines as well. Blackrock offers unobstructed views of the Lake and beautiful sunsets. Antelope Island and the causeway is another one of our favorite locations to witness these miraculous events that only the Lake can offer. Sailing photo © Paul Harrison Great Salt Lake is home to the World's saltiest sailors with tradition of sailing and boating on this exclusive Lake dating back well over 100 years. Your experience here is guaranteed to be as diverse and unique as the Lake itself. This Lake calls sailors far and wide to explore her waters and at some point you can count on her toying with you to keep you humble and remind you to heed her warning signs. One day you can be sailing in chilly weather with waves between two and four feet high -- rivaling any mechanical bull I’ve ridden -- and on the next... She will be calm and peaceful with a wind that produces some of the best sailing anywhere in the world. Check out Sailing Solution with Captain Jim Anderson at for sailing lessons and skippered charters.

Kayak, Canoe, or go Paddleboarding photo © Nicole Anderson Kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding are some of Great Salt Lake's best kept secrets. You can see the Lake at a water level allowing you a different perspective that others may not get. There are kayak rentals at both the Great Salt Lake Marina and Antelope Island Marinas as well as freshwater at both locations to rinse your equipment off after a dip in the Lake. Canoeing is a great option for Great Salt Lake and we are home to the unique group Hui Paoakalani Outrigger Canoe Club , the first Hawaiian Outrigger Club here in Utah. Another option for a great day at the Lake as well as an awesome core body workout is Paddleboarding . Try one or all three of these exciting options for enjoying the Great Salt Lake. Explore by Horseback R & G Horse and Wagon offers exclusive horseback trail rides on historic Antelope Island, a 28,000 acre island in the Great Salt Lake. The island itself was once in private ownership and included a working ranch, the Fielding Garr Ranch. It was subsequently purchased by the state of Utah and is now part of the Utah State Park system.

This is some of the best areas for horseback riding anywhere in the wild west. Learn about the Great Salt Lake map by USGS More exciting information to come soon about Great Salt Lake and all she has to offer. Art and Earthworks The art community here at Great Salt Lake will visually allow you insight into what Great Salt Lake is and what she has to offer you just by taking in a photograph or a more in depth sketch or painting. There are many artists that find their inspiration from the sunsets, the birds, and the waters here on Great Salt Lake. Earthworks are something entirely big! Here Great Salt Lake is home to not just one earthwork but three. We have the distinct privilege of being home to the world renowned, Sun Tunnels created by Nancy Holt. The Tree of Life by Swedish artist, Karl Momen, and our favorite the Spiral Jetty created by Robert Smithson. Please see our Artist Page to find out more information on how to visit these distinct art opportunities. Back to map and list We choose our advertisements with our audience (you) in mind. It is necessary for us to have ads to help offset the cost of maintaining this site. Please contact us if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Search Our Site with Google Custom Search To search our entire site, type key word(s) below. Please contact us if you don't find what you are looking for. Great Salt Lake Great Salt Lake Richard H. Jackson Utah History Encyclopedia The Great Salt Lake is both the largest body of water between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean and the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere. The Great Salt Lake is the major remnant of Lake Bonneville, a large freshwater lake of the Pleistocene era (75,000-7,250 B.C.) that occupied much of western Utah. The lake occupies one of the basins of the Great Basin, and is located at the western margin of the Wasatch Mountains of the Rocky Mountain Range. The lake receives water from numerous perennial and intermittent streams originating in the surrounding mountains, the most important of which are the Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers. No streams empty from the lake, and its high salinity is caused by the accumulation of minerals with no removal and the accompanying water evaporation. The lake occupies a broad level valley that has been created as deposits eroded from the surrounding mountains have filled the valley with sediments thousands of feet deep.

The level nature of the valley is responsible for wide variations in the surface area of the lake, as a rise of only a few feet during wetter years can increase the surface area dramatically. In 1962 the lake elevation was 4,192 feet above sea level, giving it a surface area of 969 square miles (620,400 acres). In the early 1980s the lake reached an elevation of 4,212 feet above sea level, giving it a surface area of 2,300 square mile (1,472,000 acres). The existence of a large body of water in an arid region, especially a salt lake, attracted early attention. Native American cultures used the freshwater marshes and streams around the lake for hunting and fishing. The first European reports of the lake seem to have been by Baron Lahontan, who reported in 1703 that he had seen a region west of the Mississippi which contained a large salt lake. The next recorded information about the lake came from the Dominguez-Escalante expedition.

Reaching Utah Lake in 1776, they were informed by Indians that it was joined to a much larger lake to the north whose waters were "harmful or extremely salty wherefore . . . anybody getting a part of his body wet instantly feels severe itching around the wet part." The most important effect of the Dominguez-Escalante report was its inclusion of a map showing a river connecting the Great Salt Lake to the Pacific Ocean. This mythical river was later sought by explorers and settlers as a route to the Pacific. Trappers explored the region of the Great Salt Lake, beginning with Robert Stewart, who was at Bear Lake in 1812 but apparently did not visit the salt lake. Later trappers visited the lake, but is unclear who was first. Jim Bridger reportedly saw the lake in 1824. In 1826 a group of four trappers from the Rocky Mountain Fur Company spent twenty-four days circumnavigating the lake, seemingly putting to rest the idea of a river flowing from it to the Pacific Ocean.

In spite of this, the Fremont expedition of 1843-44 visited the Great Salt Lake in 1843 and searched for a river flowing west to the Pacific, finally concluding that the lake indeed occupied part of a great basin which had no drainage to the sea. Reports of the valley of the Great Salt Lake reaching Mormon leaders in Nauvoo, Illinois, prompted them to select it as a destination by 1845, and the first Mormon pioneer party reached the Great Salt Lake Valley on 22-24 July 1847. On 27 July Brigham Young and other leaders of the group visited the lake, and by August the lake was supplying salt to the settlers. The high salt content of the lake has restricted its use, but several resorts have existed on its shores from time to time, the most famous being Saltair. From 1893 until it burned in 1925, and again after its reconstruction until drought isolated it in the 1930s, it was a major recreation facility. More recently sailing has been a popular activity at the lake. The lake has also been associated with mining its salt and collecting its brine shrimp for fish food.

From the earliest Indians who obtained common salt to modern industries extracting a variety of minerals from its waters, from the tourists visiting the lake to experience the buoyancy provided by its waters to locals sailing its waters, the Great Salt Lake has remained a valuable and unique part of America's geography. Physical Characteristics of Great Salt Lake Physical Characteristics of Great Salt Lake Physical Characteristics of Great Salt Lake Surviving extremes and fluctuations Great Salt Lake is always changing. Conditions vary with location, with the seasons, and from one year to the next. In order to survive, the plants, animals and microbes that live in and around Great Salt Lake must be able to adjust to their constantly changing environment. But they also must survive the lake's often extreme conditions. Some of the challenges that the organisms of Great Salt Lake face include: Salinity Great Salt Lake is between 3.5 and 8 times saltier than the ocean. The organisms that live in the water have special adaptations that allow them to survive such saline conditions. Ultraviolet light Air blocks much of the sun's DNA-damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the surface of the earth.

But at an elevation of 4,200 feet, there is less air above Great Salt Lake than there is at sea level, and ultraviolet light levels are about 15% higher. Temperature Great Salt Lake is an average of just 14 feet deep, with a maximum depth of 33 feet. Its shallow depth means that much of its surface area is exposed to the air, and is subject to its seasonal temperature fluctuations. Water temperatures vary from below freezing in the winter to more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Water level The water level changes a lot from year to year. When less water than normal flows into the lake, water levels drop and salinity rises. The shoreline recedes and wetlands dry up. Low water levels sometimes connect islands to the shore, exposing bird nesting areas to predators. During high precipitation years, lake levels rise and salinity drops. The shoreline expands and wetlands get covered by salt water, sometimes killing sensitive plants and destroying wildlife habitats. Even within a single year, it's normal for the water level to change by 2 to 3 feet. In some areas, a one foot change in elevation can cause the shoreline to move as much as one mile.

A constantly moving shoreline Illustration based on Major Levels of Great Salt Lake and Lake Bonneville, published by the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey When a little more or a little less water than usual flows into Great Salt Lake, the shoreline moves a lot. A few consecutive years of below- or above-average precipitation can produce dramatic changes. Four years of above-average precipitation during the 1980s increased the lake level by 12 feet, submerging buildings and highways near the shoreline and increasing the lake's surface area by a third. Twenty years later, five years of drought caused a 10 foot drop in elevation, shrinking the lake to half its size. Changes in lake elevation are accompanied by changes in salinity. During wet years, incoming fresh water dilutes the salt water, and salinity decreases. During dry years, continued evaporation removes fresh water, and salinity increases. Great Salt Lake is broad and flat The reason the shoreline of Great Salt Lake shifts so dramatically is because it sits at the bottom of a broad and relatively flat basin. Think of pouring water into a plate versus a bowl. Like Great Salt Lake, Mono Lake and Pyramid Lake are terminal lakes in the Great Basin of the Western United States.

But because they sit in deeper basins, fluctuating water levels affect their surface areas much less dramatically. Nevada's Pyramid Lake, for example, is only about 10% as large as Great Salt Lake, but it holds 25% more water. Great Salt Lake has a much greater surface-area-to-volume ratio than other lakes in the region. As a result, a tremendous amount of water -- an average of 2.6 billion gallons -- evaporates from the lake each day. This affects not only the lake's depth, but also the weather. Moisture from the lake produces lake effect snow during the winter, and afternoon thunderstorms during the summer. All drains do not lead to the ocean Much of the water that falls to the ground makes its way through a watershed - a series of streams, rivers and lakes - to the ocean. Water flows downhill, and the ocean is at the bottom of the hill, right? But Great Salt Lake sits at the bottom of a "closed basin". It's a terminal lake. The only way water can leave is through evaporation. So in this part of the world, all drains lead to Great Salt Lake. And what goes into the lake tends to stay in the lake.

Most terminal lakes have a high mineral content and, like Great Salt Lake, are quite salty. Even though the water flowing into Great Salt Lake is fresh, it contains small amounts of dissolved minerals. As water evaporates from the lake, the minerals stay behind. Over many thousands of years, minerals have accumulated to very high levels. The saltiest regions of Great Salt Lake are nearly 9 times saltier than the ocean. The Great Salt Lake drainage basin covers about 22,000 square miles and includes most of Northern Utah as well as parts of Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming. It includes three major river systems: Bear (blue), Ogden/Weber (purple), and Jordan (orange). Illustration based on Great Salt Lake, an overview of change, p. 304, and a map compiled by Daniel Smith from the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining. Hidden Water explores the drainages and irrigation systems that flow through Salt Lake City into Great Salt Lake. USGS Utah Water Science Center: Great Salt Lake USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state. Great Salt Lake, Utah The largest U.S.

lake west of the Mississippi River The 4th largest terminal lake (no outlet) in the world A remnant of Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric freshwater lake that was 10 times larger than GSL About 75 miles long, and 28 miles wide, and covers 1,700 square miles Has a maximum depth of about 35 feet Typically 3 to 5 times saltier than the ocean Fish free, the largest aquatic critters are brine shrimp and brine flies One of the largest migratory bird magnets in Western North America Great Salt Lake is located on a shallow playa. Consequently, small changes in the water-surface elevation result in large changes in the surface area of the lake. This is particularly evident when the lake spills into the west desert at an elevation of about 4,215 feet, greatly increasing its area. The satellite imagery shows changes in the area of the lake from 1972, through the high-runoff period of 1983-87, and ending in 1996.

At the historic average (1847-1986) surface elevation of 4,200 feet (1975 is an "average year" shown in the images), the lake covers an area of about 1,700 square miles. At the historic low elevation of 4,191.35 in 1963, the lake covered only 950 square miles. The drop of about 8.5 feet in elevation resulted in a loss of about 44 percent in surface area. During 1986 and again in 1987, the lake reached an elevation of 4,211.6 feet and had a surface area of about 3,300 square miles. The relation between water-surface elevation and corresponding surface area and volume of the lake is shown on an elevation-area-volume curve, also called a hypsographic curve (from the Greek, hypsos, meaning height). Satellite images of Great Salt Lake, from USGS EarthShots. Great Salt Lake and vicinity, Utah The U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS) has measured the elevation of Great Salt Lake since 1875 and conducted many studies on the hydrology, salinity, water quality, and ecology of the lake. Currently, the USGS operates lake elevation gages at Saltair Marina, Saline (north arm), and on the railroad causeway near Promontory Point. The USGS is studying the ecology of brine shrimp in the lake in cooperation with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and researchers from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Utah State University. The map to the left shows Tooele and Salt Lake City. A larger image is available. Hydrology In addition to measuring changes in lake elevation, since the early 1960s the USGS has conducted detailed studies of the physical and chemical hydrology of the lake. These have included investigations of the prehistory of the lake, general hydrology of closed-basin lakes, effects of human activities on the lake, and a detailed accounting of the water budget.

USGS publications about the salinity of Great Salt Lake Salt industry The salts of the lake are primarily sodium chloride (common salt), although small amounts of other elements and salts are also present, including magnesium, potassium, sulfate, and carbonate. There are about 4.5 to 4.9 billion tons of salt in the lake, and about 2.2 million tons of salt enter the lake annually from surface- and ground-water flow. The salt industries extract about 2.5 million tons of sodium chloride and other salts and elements from the lake annually. The picture to the left shows salt ponds. A larger image is available. Industries extracting salt and other minerals from the lake: Ecology Brine shrimp Brine shrimp are not only the most visible inhabitants of Great Salt Lake and are very important to the ecology of the lake, serving as a major source of food for migratory birds. They are also valuable for the hard-walled eggs they produce, which are commercially harvested and used worldwide in the aquaculture industry. Birds Birds : Great Salt Lake supports between 2 and 5 million shorebirds, as many as 1.7 million eared grebes, and hundreds of thousands of waterfowl during spring and fall migration.

Because of its importance to migratory birds, the lake was designated a part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network in 1992. The lake and its marshes provide a resting and staging area for the birds, as well as an abundance of brine shrimp and brine flies that serve as food. Planktonic and benthic habitats The planktonic and benthic habitat in Great Salt Lake consists of the open water inhabited by brine shrimp, phytoplankton (algae), bacteria, and other small zooplankton. These organisms are all free-swimming or float in the water. The benthic habitat consists of the bottom substrate of the lake and its associated organisms. These organisms are primarily brine-fly larvae and benthic algae. Other interests on Great Salt Lake Boating and recreation This is a brief explanation and listing of boating and recreation on Great Salt Lake. Organizations involved with Great Salt Lake United States Features Map Puzzle United States Features Map Puzzle Click and drag the feature to the correct place on the map.

Free Maps, Map Puzzles and Educational Software: Owl and Mouse Educational Software United States Features Map Puzzle Hints Many rivers form the boundaries between states, so this is an easy way to position the rivers. Also notice how the names of rivers—the Ohio, the Mississippi, the Arkansas, the Colorado and the Missouri are also the names of states, but not always the state you would expect. Just be glad we don’t have states named “Red” or “Platte.” Yukon River The Brooks Range is in Alaska, running across the Northern part of the state. Like the Alaska range, it is part of a system of mountain ranges that extend from Central America to Alaska and Canada. Back The Yukon River flows from western Canada toward the Bering Sea, emptying on the western side of the state, about halfway between the Northern and Southern coasts. Back The Alaska Range curves across the Southern coast of the main part of Alaska. It is part of a system of mountain ranges that extend from Central America north to Alaska and Canada. Back The Appalachian Mountains are more than 1300 miles long, running from Maine down into Georgia. Most of the ridges run from northeast to southwest.

The highest peak in the Appalachians, Mount Mitchell, is 6684 feet—not very high for the highest point in a mountain range. Because the Appalachians are old mountains, their peaks are lower and much less jagged than the peaks of the Rocky mountains. Back The Rocky Mountains are high, jagged mountains which stretch from Mexico and up into Canada. They are part of the system of mountains which continues from Central America up through Canada and Alaska. The Rocky Mountains and the high plains to the East of them constitute most of the landscape of the American West. The highest part of the Rockies is in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, where there are more than fifty peaks over 14,000 feet. The South Pass, in Wyoming, is the route where the first transcontinental railroad went through the Rocky Mountains. Although the pass is still high at 7000 feet, it rises gradually enough to allow a train to go over easily. The early pioneers travelling by wagon train used the same pass to get through the Rocky Mountains on the Oregon Trail. Back The Red River is the most southerly of the large rivers forming the Mississippi-Missouri river system.

It runs from north Texas to meet the Mississippi in Louisiana, forming the border between Oklahoma and Texas in its middle third. Back The Platte River flows from eastern Wyoming, through Nebraska, to join the Missouri River between Nebraska and Iowa. Back The Cascade Range is in Washington and Oregon, about a third of the way in from the coast. Back Mount St. Helens is in southern Washington, just west of the Cascade Range. It is a volcanic mountain which erupted violently in 1980. Back The Columbia River crosses the Cascade Mountains from eastern Washington to the Pacific. Back The Great Salt Lake is salty, like the ocean, not fresh water, like most lakes, because it does not drain to the sea. It is in the Northern part of Utah, north of the Colorado-Wyoming line. Back Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes entirely within the United States. Back Lake Erie , like all the Great Lakes, is fresh water. It forms part of the northern borders of Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. Back Lake Ontario is the most easterly of the Great Lakes. It forms part of the Northern border of New York. Back Lake Huron is between the southern part of Michigan and Canada.

Like all of the Great Lakes except Lake Michigan, it is partly in the USA and partly in Canada. Back Lake Superior , the largest of the Great Lakes, is between Canada and the states of Michigan and Minnesota. Back The Mississippi River , the largest river in North America, flows from Minnesota to Louisiana, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It forms the borders of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Because it has no rapids, it has been a major transportation route for thousands of years. Back The Ohio River flows from Pennsylvania to join the Mississippi where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet. Back The Olympic Mountains are in the Olympic Peninsula, in the extreme northwestern part of Washington. Back

Question: In which US state would you find the Great Salt Lake?
Answer: Utah