[49] Populations of brine shrimp are mostly restricted to the lake's south arm. In the 1970s the focus changed to their eggs, known as cysts, which were sold primarily outside the US as food for shrimp, prawns, and some fish. [5] The Jordan flows from the north part of Utah Lake into the south-east corner of the Great Salt Lake. ", "Utah's Great Salt Lake: An Undervalued Resource", "R657-15: Closure of Gunnison, Cub and Hat Islands", "Digital Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Utah", "Brine Shrimp and Ecology of Great Salt Lake", "Study says mercury in Great Salt Lake is global problem", "Floyd may get some pink feathered friends", "Toxic mercury lurking in Great Salt Lake", "High mercury levels found in two duck species", "Great Salt Lake causeway sinks, prompting emergency repairs", "Great Salt Lake an economic powerhouse for the state", "What minerals are produced from Great Salt Lake? Record high water levels in the 1980s caused a large amount of property damage for owners on the eastern side of the Great Salt Lake, and the water started to erode the base of Interstate 80. The water-surface elevation of the south part of the lake is usually 0.5 to 2 feet (15–61 cm) higher than that of the north part because most of the inflow to the lake occurs from the south. The Great Salt Lake lends its name to Salt Lake City, originally named "Great Salt Lake City" by the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) Brigham Young,[13] who led a group of Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley southeast of the lake on July 24, 1847. In addition to these eight islands, the lake also contains a number of rocks, reefs, or shoals that become fully or partially submerged at high water levels. [13] As of 1993, approximately 3,000 barrels (480 m3) of crude oil had been produced from shallow wells along the shore. Great Salt Lake. Its shallow, warm waters cause frequent, sometimes heavy lake-effect snows from late fall through spring. For instance, in 1963 it reached its lowest recorded size at 950 square miles (2,460 km²), but in 1988 the surface area was at the historic high of 3,300 square miles (8,500 km2). [60], A study in 2010 concluded that the main source of the mercury is likely worldwide industry, rather than local sources. The Great Salt Lake entered written European history through the records of Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, who learned of its existence from the Timpanogos Utes in 1776. As people came to know of the Great Salt Lake, they interpreted the maps to think that "Timpanogos" referred to the Great Salt Lake. [76] The resort was the Salt Lake's first to have an electric generator which powered its many concerts, and parties held atop the pavilion tower. The water level is also affected by the amount of water flow diverted for agricultural and urban uses. [5] In the 1880s Grove Karl Gilbert predicted that the lake – then in the middle of many years of recession – would virtually disappear except for a small remnant between the islands. The lake lies in parts of five counties: Box Elder, Davis, Tooele, Weber, and Salt Lake. Within this range of over 20 feet, the lake rose above and fell below its “normal” surface elevation of about 4,200 feet. If lake depth maps exist in that area, you'll see a checkbox to add "Lake Depth Contours" during Step 2. The causeway across the lake was built in the 1950s by the Morrison-Knudsen construction company for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a replacement to a previously-built wooden trestle, which was the major component of the Lucin Cutoff. We now provide lake depth contour overlays for over 6,800 lakes in 46 States. A railroad line – the Lucin Cutoff – runs across the lake, crossing the southern end of Promontory Peninsula. The additional water allowed the levels of both arms of the lake to rise,[18] and at least for the near future the conditions for a healthy brine shrimp population seem good. The Salton Sea has a salinity of 44 grams salt per litre of ocean water, greater than that of the Pacific Ocean (35 g/L). Stansbury, Carrington, and Hat Islands are extensions of the Stansbury mountain range, and Strongs Knob is an extension of the Lakeside Mountains which run along the lake's western shore. No European name was given to it at the time, and it was not shown on the map by Bernardo Miera y Pacheco, the cartographer for the expedition. The northern arm of the lake has a much higher salinity, to the point that the native brine shrimp cannot survive in its waters. At its deepest point, Lake Bonneville reached a depth of 923 ft, and was roughly ten times the size of the Great Salt Lake. The project was shut down in June 1989 since the level of the lake had dropped by nearly six feet (1.8 meters) since reaching its peak levels during June 1986 and March 1987. HOW IT WORKS: Find your State and available lakes below to begin creating a custom map, or start a new map. For example, in October 1903 dissolved solids tallied 27.72% and by February 1910 they were down to 17.68% with chlorine, sodium and sulphate levels substantially lower, but over the same time calcium, magnesium and potassium increased with the increase of magnesium especially pronounced. [70] Antelope Island State Park is a popular tourist destination that offers panoramic views of the lake, hiking and biking trails, wildlife viewing and access to beaches. With the construction of a 180-foot-long (55 m) bridge, creating an opening of the causeway for water to flow between the arms of the lake, water levels have begun to equalize. Black Rock, Antelope Island, White Rock, Egg Island, Fremont Island, and the Promontory mountain range are each extensions of the Oquirrh Mountain Range, which dips beneath the lake at its southeastern shore. Fish and Wildlife Service researchers discovered a high level of methylmercury in the Great Salt Lake with 25 nanograms per liter of water. From largest to smallest, they are Antelope Island, Stansbury Island, Fremont Island, Carrington Island, Dolphin Island, Cub Island, and Badger Island, and various rocks, reefs, or shoals with names like Strongs Knob, Gunnison Island, Goose, Browns, Hat (Bird), Egg Island, Black Rock, and White Rock. [36] In total, the pumps removed 2,730,000 acre feet (3.37 km3) of water while they operated. ", "Union Pacific causeway upgrade proposal could change colors of the Great Salt Lake", "Resorts flourished at Great Salt Lake during the 1800s", "The Steamboat Era Was Glamorous But Very Brief in Utah", "Pink Water, White Salt Crystals, Black Boulders, and the Return of, "What are the round, white sand grains that make up the beaches? (Pink Floyd is often referred to as a "he", although the bird's sex is not actually known. The toxic metal shows up throughout the lake's food chain, from brine shrimp to eared grebes and cinnamon teal. [43] The islands within the Great Salt Lake also provide habitat for lizard and mammalian wildlife and a variety of plant species. Great Salt Lake is definitely a worthwhile boating destination. Some rainstorms may also be partially attributed to the lake effect in fall and spring. Because of the Great Salt Lake's high salinity, it has few fish, but they do occur in Bear River Bay and Farmington Bay when spring runoff brings fresh water into the lake. Anasazi Explore an Ancestral Puebloan ... Great Salt Lake This State Park provides boat slips, public viewpoints of the Great Salt Lake, sail and motorboat access, ... Fred Hayes at Starvation The sprawling waters of Starvation Reservoir offer great fishing and boating. map to find great fishing spots at lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Salt Lake City and its suburbs are located to the south-east and east of the lake, between the lake and the Wasatch Mountains, but land around the north and west shores are almost uninhabited. Strawberry Reservoir is one of the premier fly fishing … The Great Salt Lake is the eighth largest endorheic lake in the world and the largest lake in the United States located west of the Mississippi River. Get all MassWildlife's freshwater fishing information in one place—featured sites, boat ramps, trout stocked waters, pond and lake summaries, and digital depth information. [75] The new resort was completed in 1981, approximately a mile (1600 m) west of the original. The precipitation in the watershed was above normal for the water year beginning on October 1, 2016. Great Salt Lake State Park: Tickets & Tours‎ Vivint Smart Home Arena: Tickets & Tours‎ Beehive House: Tickets & Tours‎ Near Airports. In 1887 the resort was purchased by the Utah and Nevada railroad. About Great Salt Lake: State: Utah. Fishing & Wildlife. The three major rivers are each fed directly or indirectly from the Uinta Mountain range in northeastern Utah. [62], Solar evaporation ponds at the edges of the lake produce salts and brine (water with high salt quantity). In response, the State of Utah built the West Desert Pumping Project on the western side of the lake. 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