Facts About Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

The Great Salt Lake is located in the state of Utah, in the northern part of US. The lake consists of several islands, a railroad, state parks, and causeway. It is popular as a recreation area offering activities like swimming, sailing, and hiking or biking trails.

The Great Salt Lake is a remaining part of a larger prehistoric lake named Lake Bonneville.

It’s believed that it was as large as Lake Michigan and similarly deeper and covered ten times the area of the Great Salt Lake. Native American people used the freshwater marshes around the lake for hunting and fishing.

It is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere and also the eighth largest terminal lake in the world.

In the United States, it is the largest lake which is not a part of the Great lakes region. The maximum length on an average is 120 kilometres and maximum width is almost 50 kilometres.

The surface area of the lake is 4,400 square kilometres on an average. The lowest was 2,460 square kilometres in 1963 and highest was 8,500 square kilometres in 1988.

The water surface is almost 4,200 feet above sea level at an average. The average depth is 16 feet with the greatest depth being 33 feet.

The lake gets its water from various streams from the mountains. Bear, Jordan, and Weber Rivers are among the most important sources. Also, they deposit around 1.1 million tons of minerals each year.

There are two different colors for the northern and southern portions of the lake. The northern waters get a rosy color because of the red pigments released from microbes. A railroad causeway divides both of these.

The lake is an endorheic lake meaning that it doesn’t have an outlet. Hence, whatever salt comes in from the tributary; it stays after the evaporation.

The lake is also known as the ‘Dead Sea of America’ because of its high saline level. The percentage is higher particularly in the Gunnison Bay which is the northern part. You can also just float around here as you won’t drown!

The high salinity makes it difficult for any species to thrive in the lake. Brine Shrimp, Brine Flies, and a few forms of algae are the only living beings found in the lake.

But, the habitat is home for millions of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.

The flies and shrimp are the primary food source for birds that migrate here. Birds like the American Avocet, Pelicans, Earned Gebe, Phalaropes, Barn Owl, Golden Eagle, and Snowy Plover are found here.

The Utah Geological survey states, "the lake contains 11 recognized islands, although this number varies depending on the level of the lake. Seven islands are in the southern portion of the lake and four in the northwestern portion”.

Antelope Island is the largest with an area of 109 square kilometres. It is known for its stunning beauty and free roaming herds of the American Bison. Other animals found here are coyote, bobcat, bighorn sheep, and waterfowls.

Bridger Bay Beach on the north end attracts crowd on its beautiful beach. The beach boasts of oolitic sand which means the sand particles are round and smooth unlike regular sand.

The lake is a good boost for the economy here. It’s estimated to bring over $1 billion profit in a year and is a source of employment for several people.

There are solar evaporation ponds at the lake edges which produce salts and brine.

The famous work of land art, Spiral Jetty, was made by Robert Smithson in 1970. Initially, it was made with black basalt and mud but it has turned white with time.

It is located in the northwestern part near the Rozel Point. But, it’s only visible when the water level drops below 4200 feet above sea level.

The lake is known for its weird peculiar odor. Some say it smell like rotten eggs. There are various reasons for that.

One is the abundance of hydrogen sulfide because of fewer bacteria in the water. Other reasons are less oxygen and the algae and brine shrimp washed up on shore.

The Great Salt Lake has a very high level of mercury. But, it exists beyond 19 feet depth and hence is safe for humans to swim here.