Great Salt Lake

Great Salt Lake is an endorheic saline lake in northern Utah, much saltier than the ocean. It is the remnant of the prehistoric pluvial Lake Bonneville in the Great Basin. It covers an area of around 1,700 square miles, but this is subject to substantial fluctuations. The lake has very high salinity because the natural evaporation rate exceeds the supply of water from the three feeder rivers, which deposit around 1.1 million tons of minerals in it each year. It has no outlet to the sea.

Commerce

Shallow artificial ponds at the edge of the lake are used to produce salt, magnesium and other minerals for commercial sale.

Related Topics:
Salt - Magnesium - Mineral

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The harvest of brine shrimp cysts during fall and early winter has developed into a significant local industry.

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There is a problem with pollution of the lake by industrial and urban effluent. Also, especially when the waters are low, decay of insects and other wildlife give the shore of the lake a distinctive odor, which may keep some tourists from coming near the lake.

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A resort called Saltair has been operated on the southern shore of the lake. Rising and lowering water levels have affected Saltair, and it has burned twice.

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Dramatically fluctuating lake levels has inhibited the creation and success of tourist-related developments. Despite this, the lake remains one of Utah's largest tourist attractions. Antelope Island State Park is a popular tourist destination that offers panoramic views of the lake, hiking and biking trails, wildife viewing and access to beaches.

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The northwest arm of the lake, near Rozel Point, is the location for Robert Smithson's significant work of land art, Spiral Jetty (1970).

Related Topics:
Robert Smithson - Land art - Spiral Jetty

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