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Sarah Radcliff
SLCC e-Portfolio
THE GREAT SALT LAKE IS DRYING OUT...
The Great Salt Lake, the largest body of water in Salt Lake City is on the verge of drying out completely. This lake is a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which used to occupy the entirety of the Salt Lake Valley as well as parts of Idaho and Nevada. The current surface area of the lake varies, but hovers around 1,700 square miles. The depth of the lake on average is no more than 14 feet deep, making the average surface area of the lake susceptible to change with even the slightest drought or heavy rainfall.
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ABOUT GSL
HOW MUCH HAS THE LAKE SHRUNK?
According to a research study by weather.com, Great Salt Lake is 11 feet below its normal water level. It has dried up 48% since the settlers arrived in Utah in 1847. This shrinkage has exposed 50% of Great Salt Lake's lake bed.
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WHAT IS CAUSING LOW LAKE LEVELS?
The largest contributing factor to low lake levels is diversion of Utah rivers, predominately the Weber, Bear, and Jordan River.
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These three major rivers play a substantial role in the Great Salt Lake's watershed. These rivers move melting water from the Wasatch Mountains' annual snow pack into the Great Salt Lake.
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The water diverted from these rivers is used predominately by the agriculture and mining industries in the valley.
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WHAT IS AT RISK?
AIR QUALITY
Exposed lake beds leave the community at risk for more dust storms. Toxicology reports are currently underway to determine what exactly is in the dust blowing in from the exposed lake beds. Based on toxicology reports of the water in the Great Salt Lake, experts speculate that an array of toxic heavy metals such as mercury, selenium, and arsenic are all present in the dust being blown around the valley. These pollutants not only pose health risks to people and the environment, but they also contribute to the greenhouse effect.
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THE ECONOMY
The Great Salt Lake is estimated to contribute $1.3 billion dollars to Utah's economy each year. The lake supports several multi-million dollar industries. These industries include Brine Shrimp Harvesting Industry, Morton Salt, Compass Minerals, U.S. Magnesium, and Cargill.
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"Economics go hand in hand with the health of the lake."- Lynn DeFreitas, Friends of Great Salt Lake
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ECOSYSTEMS AND ANIMALS
The Great Salt Lake is a migrating pit stop for over 250 species of birds. The lake creates a perfect environment for birds to refuel before completing their migration. Without the lake, the birds would pass over Utah, leaving the valley to become over whelmed with bugs and pests. This would have devastating impacts on the agriculture industry, as birds are biological pesticides that eat the bugs that damage crops.
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The Great Salt Lake is also a contributor to the amount of precipitation present in the valley. The lake generates a phenomena called "The Lake Effect", which generates storms and carries water throughout the entirety of the valley. Without these storms, the snow pack, rivers, and reservoirs present in the mountains and the valley have the potential of drying up. Causing devastating impacts to the environment, economy, and local wild life.
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CONSEQUENCES
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Increase in chronic health issues throughout the valley due to poor air quality, including higher rates in breast, lung, cervical, nasal, brain, pharyngeal, liver, and stomach cancers, children's leukemia, respiratory ailments, autism, and metabolic disorders.
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Exposed lake beds will cause excessive pollutants in the air.
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The industries that rely on the lake will fail, destroying thousands of jobs and costing the economy in Utah over a billion dollars each year.
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The lake will no longer be a migratory refuge for birds, increasing the number of pests in the valley, devastating the agriculture industry.
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Rivers and lakes will dry up due to a drop in precipitation generated by the lake effect.
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