|
Great Salt Lake
General Information
| Description |
|
|
| Country |
United States of America
|
|
| Latitude |
41° 10' 0"
(41.1667) |
|
| Longitude |
-112° 30'
0" (-112.5000) |
|
| State |
Utah
|
|
Physical Characteristics
| Description |
The lake's surface area fluctuates between 2,331 and 6,216 square kilometers. It contains a range of salinities from 5-27%. |
|
| Volume |
19.00 km3 |
|
| Surface Area |
3,750.00 km2 |
|
| Depth |
Mean depth: 4.0 m
Maximum depth: 10.0 m
|
|
| Origin |
Tectonic
|
|
| Type |
Saline
Permanent
Natural
|
|
Socio-Political
| Economic Value |
Recreation estimated $7 million/year
Brine shrimp cyst harvesting estimated $27 million/year
Mineral extraction-salts estimated $240 million/year |
|
| Major Cities |
Salt Lake City, Ogden |
|
Watershed Management
| Description |
|
|
| Issues |
Threats include the development of southern and eastern shore areas for industrial, urban, agricultural, recreational and tourism use. There are plans for a highway which would bisect many key lake wetlands. The lake has also been proposed as a possible dumping site for soils contaminated with arsenic and lead from a Superfund site. Diking for salt development and lake level controls is also a problem in the lake basin. |
|
| Other Issues |
Lake Levels (water quantity)
Nutrient pollution
Salts
Toxics
Watershed habitat alteration
|
|
| Monitoring |
Quaterly monitoring for chemical parameters by the Utah Division of Water Quality. |
|
| Monitoring Programs |
In-Lake
Water Quality
Biological Resources and Habitats
|
Biodiversity Conservation
| Description |
Great Salt Lake supports large numbers of migrating Wilson's phalaropes. No accurate counts exist for most shorebirds using the lake, but studies suggest that high numbers, perhaps in the millions, use the lake for breeding and migration. Hundreds of thousands of Eared Grebes stage for migration on the lake, fattening on the abundant brine shrimp. One of the world's largest number of White-faced Ibis nest in the lake's eastern marshes. |
|
| Designations |
LakeNet Biodiversity Priority
WWF Global 200
WWF Freshwater Eco-Region - Bonneville
WWF Conservation Status Priority II
|
|
| Species of Concern |
|
|
Organizations
Documents
Resources
News
Additional Data Sources
| • |
Abell, R. and D. Olson, E. Dinerstein, P. Hurley et al. 2000. Freshwater ecoregions of North America. Island Press. Washington, D.C. |
|
| • |
Birkett, C., and I. Mason. 1995. A new global lakes database for remote sensing programme studying climatically sensitive large lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 21 (3) 307-318. |
|
| • |
International Lake Environment Committee, the United Nations Environment Program and Environment Agency, Government of Japan. 1997. World Lakes Database. |
|
Search again
|
