General Information, Facts, News, Publications and Partners
The western part of the conterminous United States is often thought of as being a desert without any large bodies of water. In the desert area of western Utah, however, lies Great Salt Lake, which in 1986, at its highest level, covered approximately 2,300 square miles and contained 30 million acre-feet of water (an acre-foot is the amount of water necessary to cover 1 acre of land with water 1 foot in depth or about 326,000 gallons). To emphasize its size, the Great Salt Lake is the largest lake west of the Mississippi River, larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware.
The origin of Great Salt Lake can be traced back to ancient Lake Bonneville, which covered much of western Utah and small parts of Idaho and Nevada during the Pleistocene Epoch (commonly known as the Great Ice Age) most recently between 23,000 and 12,000 years ago. In the warmer and drier period that has followed the Ice Age, Lake Bonneville receded; the Great Salt Lake as it is seen today is a descendant of that ancient lake. The mountains that surround the lake still bear the shoreline markings of Lake Bonneville, which give the onlooker a visual appreciation of the depth and extent of the ancient lake.
General Information
- Great Salt Lake Elevations and Areal Extent - Great Salt Lake is unique among lakes in the Western Hemisphere because of its size and salt content. It occupies a low part of the desert area of western Utah and is a terminal lake with no outlet to the sea. To learn more about its rise and fall, go to Great Salt Lake Elevations and Areal Extent.
- Great Salt Lake - Fifty years of change through satellite images - Dramatic changes in lake levels are observed from satellite images for 1972-2021. To view the images, go to Great Salt Lake - Fifty years of change through satellite images.
- Deep Brine Layer - In 1959, a solid-fill railroad causeway was constructed across the middle of the Great Salt Lake. The construction of the causeway separated the lake into two parts; the north (Gunnison Bay) and the south (Gilbert Bay). To learn more about the consequences of the causeway go to Deep Brine Layer.
- Quantifying Nutrient Mass and Internal Cycling in Great Salt Lake - Habitat and aquaculture, rely on a balanced supply of nutrients in the Great Salt Lake to support phytoplankton growth and healthy brine shrimp populations. To learn more about nutrient cycling in Great Salt Lake, go to Quantifying Nutrient Mass and Internal Cycling in Great Salt Lake.
Facts
- Remnant of Ancient Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric freshwater lake that was 10 times larger than the Great Salt Lake
- Largest lake west of the Mississippi River
- Relatively shallow lake with a maximum depth of about 35 feet
- Typically, 3 to 5 times saltier than the ocean
- Too salty for fish
- Important source of brine shrimp
- Critical part of the Western North America migratory bird flyway
External Links
Below are selected publications associated with the Great Salt Lake.
Water-level and water-quality changes in Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1847-1983
Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway, 1987-98
Reconstructing historical changes in the environmental health of watersheds by using sediment cores from lakes and reservoirs in Salt Lake Valley, Utah
Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway
Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway
The Great Salt Lake
Water budget and water-surface fluctuations, Great Salt Lake, Utah
The effects of restricted circulation on the salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah
Below are USGS News Releases related to the Great Salt Lake.
Below are partners that have generously support the work on the Great Salt Lake.
The western part of the conterminous United States is often thought of as being a desert without any large bodies of water. In the desert area of western Utah, however, lies Great Salt Lake, which in 1986, at its highest level, covered approximately 2,300 square miles and contained 30 million acre-feet of water (an acre-foot is the amount of water necessary to cover 1 acre of land with water 1 foot in depth or about 326,000 gallons). To emphasize its size, the Great Salt Lake is the largest lake west of the Mississippi River, larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware.
The origin of Great Salt Lake can be traced back to ancient Lake Bonneville, which covered much of western Utah and small parts of Idaho and Nevada during the Pleistocene Epoch (commonly known as the Great Ice Age) most recently between 23,000 and 12,000 years ago. In the warmer and drier period that has followed the Ice Age, Lake Bonneville receded; the Great Salt Lake as it is seen today is a descendant of that ancient lake. The mountains that surround the lake still bear the shoreline markings of Lake Bonneville, which give the onlooker a visual appreciation of the depth and extent of the ancient lake.
General Information
- Great Salt Lake Elevations and Areal Extent - Great Salt Lake is unique among lakes in the Western Hemisphere because of its size and salt content. It occupies a low part of the desert area of western Utah and is a terminal lake with no outlet to the sea. To learn more about its rise and fall, go to Great Salt Lake Elevations and Areal Extent.
- Great Salt Lake - Fifty years of change through satellite images - Dramatic changes in lake levels are observed from satellite images for 1972-2021. To view the images, go to Great Salt Lake - Fifty years of change through satellite images.
- Deep Brine Layer - In 1959, a solid-fill railroad causeway was constructed across the middle of the Great Salt Lake. The construction of the causeway separated the lake into two parts; the north (Gunnison Bay) and the south (Gilbert Bay). To learn more about the consequences of the causeway go to Deep Brine Layer.
- Quantifying Nutrient Mass and Internal Cycling in Great Salt Lake - Habitat and aquaculture, rely on a balanced supply of nutrients in the Great Salt Lake to support phytoplankton growth and healthy brine shrimp populations. To learn more about nutrient cycling in Great Salt Lake, go to Quantifying Nutrient Mass and Internal Cycling in Great Salt Lake.
Facts
- Remnant of Ancient Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric freshwater lake that was 10 times larger than the Great Salt Lake
- Largest lake west of the Mississippi River
- Relatively shallow lake with a maximum depth of about 35 feet
- Typically, 3 to 5 times saltier than the ocean
- Too salty for fish
- Important source of brine shrimp
- Critical part of the Western North America migratory bird flyway
External Links
Below are selected publications associated with the Great Salt Lake.
Water-level and water-quality changes in Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1847-1983
Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway, 1987-98
Reconstructing historical changes in the environmental health of watersheds by using sediment cores from lakes and reservoirs in Salt Lake Valley, Utah
Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway
Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway
The Great Salt Lake
Water budget and water-surface fluctuations, Great Salt Lake, Utah
The effects of restricted circulation on the salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah
Below are USGS News Releases related to the Great Salt Lake.
Below are partners that have generously support the work on the Great Salt Lake.