# Does Anything LIVE in the Great Salt Lake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111 "2003-03-21T15:24:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/1 "2003-03-21T15:24:42Z")
The Great Salt Lake in Utah is a pretty weird boy of water-it is about 5 times as slaty as the ocean. Last time I drove by it, it seemed that the lake was very shallow-you had to wade out about halh a mile to get to waist-deep water. My question: does anything live in this lake? I noticed that there were a lot of flies around the shoreline-what do they live on? How deep is the lake? Is there anyway that the lake could be drained? I t sure wouldopen up a lot of land! ---
**Author:** ![Bootieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Bootieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootieman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/2 "2003-03-21T15:28:42Z")
Brine shrimp live in The great salt lake… and are harvested there… funny I was just reading about this on Wednesday… Here’s a link… [http://www.ali-artemia.com/noframes/env.htm](http://www.ali-artemia.com/noframes/env.htm) ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/3 "2003-03-21T16:07:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\* Is there anyway that the lake could be drained? I t sure would open up a lot of land! \*\* I’m not sure the land that would be opened up would be much good for anything. Ever hear of the Bonneville Salt Flats? This is land that was previously covered by the Great Salt Lake in days gone by. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/4 "2003-03-21T16:24:49Z")
This past December, I spent a week in Salt Lake City taking a class for work. Being true N’Inglandahs, we deicded to drive out to Bonneville to see the famous “International Speedway.” You can imagine our chagrin after driving for 2 hours only to find a 3 mile long dead end road into a lake with a bullet-ridden “Welcome to the Bonneveille International Speedway” sign at the end of it. Thats it. All you can see for miles is lake ringed by mountains. Wendover was interesting, though. That and the alienesque tree-like statue thing about 2/3 of the way to Nevada. Whats the deal with that thing? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/5 "2003-03-21T16:32:58Z")
It’s called “Metaphor” by Karl Momen (note: That’s Momen, not Mormon). I agree, it’s pretty strange. More info on it [here](http://www.iranian.com/Arts/2000/September/Momen/). ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/6 "2003-03-21T16:51:17Z")
Various forms of life seem to be everywhere. The brine shrimp that were mentioned can not only survive in extremely salty water, but their eggs can live for years underground with little moisture. We have several dry lakes nearby and they can be dry for years. Then when it rains and there is water the brine shrimp appear. I read in the _Los Angeles Times_ several years ago of a dry lake near Las Vegas, NV that had been dry for something like 50 years. When it finally got water the brine shrimp appeared. Mono Lake in California is also very salty and has brine shrimp and the flies you mention. ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/7 "2003-03-21T16:58:00Z")
Brine shrimp? You mean Sea Monkeys, don’t you??? ---
**Author:** ![Arturas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@Arturas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arturas)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/8 "2003-03-21T17:59:44Z")
Ok, you got my interest. If there are only brine shrimp living in these salt waters, what do they eat? I presume they forage dead organic matter washed in by rainwater and streams. ---
**Author:** ![Ico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/91b2a8/32.png) [@Ico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ico)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/9 "2003-03-21T18:25:05Z")
Bacteria must live in there. They can live almost anywhere. I think they survive in areas of low water activity by sythesising loads of solutes which stop all their water rushing out of them and drying them out. Or summat like that. 🙂 The sea monkeys must have similar system of living in salty water and feed off the bacteria. I have no idea what other life is in there. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/10 "2003-03-21T20:08:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ico \* > \*\*Bacteria must live in there. They can live almost anywhere. > I think they survive in areas of low water activity by sythesising loads of solutes which stop all their water rushing out of them and drying them out. Or summat like that. 🙂 > > The sea monkeys must have similar system of living in salty water and feed off the bacteria. I have no idea what other life is in there. \*\* Algae live in brine and the shrimp are vegetarians. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/11 "2003-03-21T20:24:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David Simmons \* > \*\*Algae live in brine and the shrimp are vegetarians. \*\* or maybe… _cannibals???_ :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/12 "2003-03-21T20:35:32Z")
This text-heavy website has a lot of info on life in the great salt lake. [http://faculty.weber.edu/sharley/AIFT/GSL-Life.htm](http://faculty.weber.edu/sharley/AIFT/GSL-Life.htm) Is the GSL saltier than the Dead Sea? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/13 "2003-03-21T20:42:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*or maybe… _cannibals???_ :dubious: \*\* Well, wouldn’t this be like the residents of a town who make their living by taking in each other’s laundry? There has to be _some_ energy input from outside the group. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/14 "2003-03-21T22:32:36Z")
> [@](#): > > You can imagine our chagrin after driving for 2 hours only to find a 3 mile long dead end road into a lake with a bullet-ridden “Welcome to the Bonneveille International Speedway” sign at the end of it. Thats it. All you can see for miles is lake ringed by mountains. Erm… What did you expect? [sub]-- Johnny L.A., who drove across Rosamond Dry Lake twice a day for four years and lived in the Mojave Desert for 11 years.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/15 "2003-03-22T01:57:43Z")
Of course, this just opens an entirely new question: do Sea Monkeys come from the Great Salt Lake? And if not, where _do_ they come from? Hmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/16 "2003-03-22T14:55:42Z")
If you go swiming in the Great Salt Lake, you find that every cubic foot has several dozen brine shrimp, which look like errant pillow feather with two black dors for eyes at the end. They eat, I imagine, the algae and plants and organic material that washes down from the montains. When you try to leave the GSL, you have to walk through a dense wall of brine flies that cluster around the edge. I imagine they’re eating the dead brin shrimp that are washedc ashore. Then the water dries on your body, the salt crystallizes out on your body hairs, and you fervently wish for a shower. Only there isn’t one anywhere near the lake – nyah, nyah, nyahhhh! For a brief period in the mid 1980s, when the flooding got petty severe (and folk direly predicted the return of Lake Bonneville), portions of the GSL close to where the freshwater streams emptied into it were so relatively fresh that fish were living there. For a while. The Blue Mouse art cinema in Salt Lake used to show a locally-produced short entitled “Attack of the Giant Brine Shrimp.” Incidentally, if you ever go to see th Bonneville Salt Flats, don’t giv in to your temptation to imitate the race car drivers. In many places the salt layer is a very thin coating over a soft base, and if you try to drive out into it your car will sink down to the hassis, and you’ll be stuck. There are a lot of dead car chassis out there. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/17 "2003-03-22T19:07:44Z")
From [http://www.arizonahandbook.com/greatsalt.htm](http://www.arizonahandbook.com/greatsalt.htm) "Only the Dead Sea has a higher salt content. " “Bacteria grow in such numbers that they sometimes give a red tint to water in the northern arm, as do reddish-orange algae (Dunaliella salina). The blue-green algae (Dunaliella viridis) occasionally give their own hue to the lake’s southern arm. A tiny brine shrimp (Artemia salina), and two species of brine fly (Ephydra sp.) live in the lake too. The harmless flies emerge from the lake near the end of their life cycle to lay eggs, then die several days later. Until recently, no fish had ever been found alive in the Great Salt Lake. By the spring of 1986, however, unusually heavy runoff from tributaries had diluted the lake so that small rainwater killifish could survive.” ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/18 "2003-03-22T19:15:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fat Bald Guy \* > \*\*It’s called “Metaphor” by Karl Momen (note: That’s Momen, not Mormon). I agree, it’s pretty strange. More info on it [here](http://www.iranian.com/Arts/2000/September/Momen/). \*\* Thank you! I always wondered what that was too, as it’s the ONLY thing I saw when driving thru the SLC area on my way to California. The fog was so bad that I didn’t even see the city. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/19 "2003-03-22T22:20:01Z")
Since we are talking about the area, does anybody know how tall the exhaust tower for that plant(copper smelting?) nestled against the mountains south of the lake is. It’s impressive but hard to get perspective on. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111/20 "2003-03-22T23:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by funneefarmer \* > \*\*From [http://www.arizonahandbook.com/greatsalt.htm](http://www.arizonahandbook.com/greatsalt.htm) > > "Only the Dead Sea has a higher salt content. "\*\* I suspect they may be stretching the truth with this one. Either they are referring to the overall mass of salt in the lake as opposed to the average amount of salt per unit volume, or they are using some specific definition of salt. There is at least one large body of water with a greater salinity than the Dead Sea, and that is Little Manitou Lake, near the town of Watrous, North America. The lake has a salinity of 12%, which, IIRC, is 50% more than the Dead Sea, and about three or four times as much as the ocean. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-live-in-the-great-salt-lake/163111.md?page=2)