There, a crusty yet perfectly flat strip measuring nine miles long by just 80 feet wide was formed 50,000 years ago when a 45,000squaremile sea receded in what is now western utah. Long before this wasatch mountain valley was home to over a million people, a bustling downtown, multiple universities, a dedicated ski scene, and a smattering of hip walkable neighborhoods, it was a peaceful grassland with a stunning alpine skyline. Determined to test the theory, he went to australia and captured two 35foot whales off the southern coast. The great salt lake, located in the northern part of the u. In depth founded by mormons in 1847, salt lake citytoday the cultural and ecclesiastical as well as the political capital of utahlies in a spectacular setting at the foot of the wasatch mountains, with the great salt lake visible to the northwest and the great salt lake desert to the west. Gypsum dunes and evaporite history of the great salt lake desert a j eardley. Several small mountain ranges crisscross through and along the edges of the desert, such as the cedar mountains, lakeside mountains, silver island mountains. The great salt lake, a remnant of lake bonneville, diminishes and accumulates a vast quantity of salt. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Take a walk around this large terminal body of water in the midst of a vast inland desert. In an average year the lake covers an area of approximately 1,700 square miles 4,400 km 2, but the lake s size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. The personal stories of the brave men and women that had the will to look for new opportunities in the west are incredible.
The design, construction, and role of the salt lake temple. The company split and the majority took the longer northern route. At the mouth of the weber canyon the donner party found a note from hastings, now guiding another group, advising them that the canyon was impassable with wagons and offering to provide them with yet. Five proposed determination of water rights books have been published. Gypsum dunes and evaporite history of the great salt lake desert by a. History buffs will get a better understanding of the hardships of the donner party. Nearby is the saltair a resort that has been rebuilt three times in its history, and is currently used. The great salt lake desert is a large dry lake in northern utah between the great salt lake and the nevada border which is noted for white sand from evaporite lake bonneville salt deposits. The great salt lakes record high levels in the mid1980s threatened the lucin cutoff, highways, and sewagetreatment plants along the shore, and in 1987 pumps were installed that began draining some of the lakes excess waters into the great salt lake desert to the west. Stumps of trees cut by the donner party, seen in summit valley circa 1866. Great salt lake desert desert, utah, united states. The lake is in the great basin, a large area of desert terrain covering parts of the states of nevada, utah, idaho, california, and arizona.
Religious studies center, brigham young university. Cowan, the design, construction, and role of the salt lake temple, in salt lake city. The desert covered some 4,000 square miles 10,500 square km. Glaubers salt bed west of promontory point, great salt lake by a. Note the difference in colors between the northern and southern portions of the lake, the result of a railroad causeway. Hastings had previously written a book called the emigrants guide to oregon and california. Together they face difficult requests from church leaders, multiple failed attempts to settle, deaths of loved ones, and then perhaps the ultimate challengepolygamy. From the first americans, through mountain men, religious empires, railroads, and resorts, the remnant of ancient lake bonneville has been a nexus for human history, uniting a haunting beauty with raw desolation, strangely removed from common experience. However, what they didnt know was that the desert sand was moist and deep, where wagons quickly.
The past history of the great salt lake utah nature. Dissolved salts accumulate in the lake by evaporation. Due to the high elevation and aridity, temperatures drop sharply after sunset. The great salt lake s record high levels in the mid1980s threatened the lucin cutoff, highways, and sewagetreatment plants along the shore, and in 1987 pumps were installed that began draining some of the lake s excess waters into the great salt lake desert to the west. Great salt lake desert desert, utah, united states britannica. The route which headed west from fort bridger through the wasatch mountains, around the southern end of the great salt lake, across the salt desert and on to the humboldt riverwas untested by wagons. The great salt lake, the burrowing owl refuge, climate change, everything.
The earliest written record of salt production in china dates to around 800 b. It is many times saltier than the average of the worlds oceans. Gypsum dunes and evaporite history of the great lake desert a j eardley the great salt lake desert is a lake basin of about the same size and nature as that of great salt lake, and the two are connected by a spillway or low pass about 25 feet above the present level of. It is about 800kilometrelong 500 mi by 320kilometrewide 200 mi with a total surface area of about 77,600 km 2. The donner road through the great salt lake desert jstor. Great salt lake salt lake city 2020 all you need to. Feb 19, 2019 after weeks of wasted time in the mountains, they finally made it to utahs great salt lake desert. After weeks of wasted time in the mountains, they finally made it to utahs great salt lake desert. Commonly asked questions about utahs great salt lake. Having watched westerns since i was a small child, reading the great salt lake trail made me realize where hollywood got all of its great stories of the west from.
He is a presence on a lost page of history, the only specter of the great salt lake. Jun 24, 2015 the area around the great salt lake is of interest to all who are interested in harsh desert conditions. The book includes a wordsearch, a maze, a crossword puzzle, a fun story about the adventures of andy avoceti, and cool facts about brine shrimp, gsl birds and the gsl food web. Clay mineralogy at the brinesediment interface in the south arm of. Great salt lake satellite photo from august 2003 after five years of drought, reaching nearrecord lows.
In an average year the lake covers an area of approximately 1,700 square miles 4,400 km 2, but the lakes size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. At the great salt lake marina you can launch a kayak or boat, go on a sunset cruise, or take in the spectacular view. It is one of the biggest endorheic lakes in the world. External image great salt lake, other water bodies near capacity fro. Volume 2 of plains and rockies utah and the mormons volume 2 of wagnercamp. The deserts elevation, 4,250 feet above sea level, makes temperatures cooler than lower elevation deserts, such as the mojave. Located in the great salt lake desert, the bonneville salt flats are both a geographic and landspeed marvel. In depth founded by mormons in 1847, salt lake citytoday the cultural and ecclesiastical as well as the political capital of utahlies in a spectacular setting at the foot of the wasatch mountains, with the great salt lake visible to the northwest and the great salt lake desert to the west like many earlier american settlers, adherents of the church of jesus christ of latter.
An unnatural history of family and place williams, terry tempest on. The party found another guide to take them as far as the salt plain west of the great salt lake. To reach antelope island, drive north on i15 to syracuse, then west on u127, following the signs. Video taken from a rest stop in northwestern utah, at the end of the salt flats. The area around the great salt lake is of interest to all who are interested in harsh desert conditions. Save on popular hotels near great salt lake state park, salt lake city. The large pipe organ in the tabernacle has been world famous for many years. May 06, 20 he is a presence on a lost page of history, the only specter of the great salt lake. Five days later, on august 30th, the group began to cross the great salt lake desert, believing the trek would take only two days, according to hastings. Before then, native americans throughout the region were familiar with the desert region west of the great salt lake and informed white explorers of what was there. This 12page book provides kids with activities and information about great salt lake gsl history, geography, and ecology. It is an endorheic lake, meaning that the water in it does not flow to the ocean.
Gypsum dunes and evaporite history of the great salt lake. But the desert location on the muddy river soon becomes a physical and emotional test for all of them. An unnatural history of family and place wikipedia. Top 10 hotels closest to great salt lake state park in. Salt desert trails a history of the hastings cutoff and other early trails which crossed the great salt desert seeking a shorter road to california. Salt lake city,ut great mormon tabernacle utah desert. After suffering great hardships in the wasatch mountains, the great salt lake desert and along the humboldt river, they finally reached. The author, lynn arave, is available to speak to groups, clubs, classes or other organizations about utah. A world history by mark kurlansky, paperback barnes. The desert is an excellent example of a cold desert climate. Find cheap deals and discount rates among them that best fit your budget. Williams chronicles the year that the great salt lake threatened to overflow its.
In this arid region of dry yellow earth and desert mountains is a lake of salty water, lake yuncheng. Salt works summary photograph shows salt works building caked with salt. The great salt lake desert, a remnant of lake bonneville, extends southwest of the great salt lake north of wendover to nevadas pilot range and south to the deep creek mountains. The history of salt lake city from the salt lake tourist. You may also print the form here and bring it with you. The great salt lake trail by henry inman goodreads. The year 1850 saw the development of a new route called the salt lake cutoff that avoided the great salt lake desert west of the lake. The salt flats are actually the bed of that once massive lake which rivaled in size present lake michigan.
The author, lynn arave, is available to speak to groups, clubs, classes or other organizations about utah history at no charge. With most reservoirs brimming in northern utah due to heavy snowmelt, the extra water is being released through rivers and emptying out into the great salt lake. In 1875, james wickham, an eccentric british scientist, hypothesized that whales could live in the great salt lake. Browse expedias selection of 1109 hotels and places to stay closest to great salt lake state park. The compelling narrative of the great salt lake, a remnant of ancient lake bonneville is brought to life through handson interactives, sounds, smells, and a spectacular view of the lake itself. It will become clear what adversities the early travellers through this area experienced. Nov 24, 2009 after suffering great hardships in the wasatch mountains, the great salt lake desert and along the humboldt river, they finally reached the sierra nevada mountains in early october. Great salt lake simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This page provides detailed information on the history of salt lake city. An unnatural history of family and place is a booklength essay by. Gypsum dunes and evaporite history of the great lake. This book was converted from its physical edition to the d. Human bones found around the lake have been dated much earlier, and some historians speculate that these inhabitants may also have gathered salt from the lake. The great salt lake desert is a large dry lake in northern utah, united states, between the great salt lake and the nevada border which is noted for white evaporite lake bonneville salt deposits. History of salt lake from the earliest of times some estimations date as far back as 8000 years, utah was occupied by nomadic tribes. The great organ of national renown was originally built in 1867 by utah artisans.
The great salt lake desert experiences a desert climate with hot summers and cold winters. The great salt lake desert sprawls across a large area of northwestern utah, one of the iconic landforms derived from a huge pleistocene body of water. The great salt lake is a very large saltwater lake in the united states. The great salt lake desert or basin was created by sediment of fine clay and silt being washed into lake. Or, latterday saints, in the valley of the great salt lake. The greatest depth was originally 1050 feet, for the great salt lake does not exceed 50 feet in any part.
The lake and its islands offer residents and visitors opportunities to sail, kayak, float, birdwatch, hike, bike and more. Several small mountain ranges crisscross through and along the edges of the desert, such as the cedar mountains, lakeside mountains, silver island mountains, hogup mountains, grassy mountains. Subsequently, the hastings cutoff was abandoned, except for portions east of salt lake city, where it remained as the end of the mormon trail. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the kindle edition of this book. Sara brighton and her sons, luke and ammon, head west in a doomed attempt to reach salt lake city. Utah historical quarterly, volume 56, number 2, 1988 by utah state. Willard marriott library 295 south 1500 east, suite 5400 salt lake city, utah 84112. Great salt lake desert, united states tourist information. The whales were brought to san francisco by boat and shipped to salt lake city by railway.
The desert s elevation, 4,250 feet above sea level, makes temperatures cooler than lower elevation deserts, such as the mojave. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The great salt lake is located north and west of salt lake city. The lake is about 75 miles 121 km long and 28 miles 45 km wide. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. This is now a region of arid deserts, spotted here and there with a salt marsh or a lagoon. A free organ recital is given daily for salt lake city visitors.
Distilled from an article by lynn arave in the deseret news. The exposed, encrusted bed of the depleted great salt lake stretches for miles and miles, merging with utahs west desert somewhere off in a distance defined by. A causeway has been built to allow automobile access to the island. The tragic story of the donner party legends of america. T he bonneville salt flats of the western great salt lake desert were formed through the evaporation of the pleistoceneera lake bonneville. Salinity south of the causeway has ranged from 6 percent to 27 percent over a period of 22 years 2 to 7 times saltier than the ocean. Approached as history, geography, geology, or high adventure, the great salt lake is fascinating reading. Great salt lake drying up as plans to punch hole through causeway are delayed duration. Clay mineralogy at the brinesediment interface in the south arm of great salt lake, utah by l.
Much of the desert is occupied by military instillation such as hill air force range north of i80 and to the south wendover air force range, deseret test. Many books and articles have been written about the donner party. It was important to leave salt lake city and cross the desert before snow began to fall on the sierra mountains, making them impassible. Mar 20, 2007 video taken from a rest stop in northwestern utah, at the end of the salt flats. Other articles where great salt lake desert is discussed. On july 24, 1847, members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints mormons settled the northern end of the salt lake valley to the east of the great salt lake. Low plains in classical persian, from khwar low, and dasht plain, flatland, also known as kavire namak lit. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Modern work on the microbiology of great salt lake has added molecular.
Great salt lake, utah introduction great salt lake, the shrunken remnant of prehistoric lake bonneville, has no outlet. Glaciers blanket the uinta mountains, the wasatch range, and mountains of the colorado plateau. Lake bonneville, a large freshwater lake, covers many northern and western utah valleys. The great salt lake desert sprawls across a large area of northwestern utah, one of the iconic landforms derived from a huge pleistocene body of water, lake bonneville, that once covered some. However, what they didnt know was that the desert sand was moist and deep, where wagons quickly got bogged down, severely slowing their progress. The grouse creek book was published in 1966, the park valley book in 1968, the snowvillepromontory point book in 1969, the southwestern box elder book in 1970, and a supplemental book in 1971, but no final decrees have been issued.
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