Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake^[1] is a very large saltwater lake in the United States. It is in the state of Utah. It is an endorheic lake, meaning that the water in it does not flow to the ocean. It is one of the biggest endorheic lakes in the world. 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. It is many times saltier than the average of the world's oceans.^[2]

Great Salt Lake
Satellite photo from August 2003 after five years of drought, reaching near-record lows. Note the difference in colors between the Northern and Southern portions of the lake, the result of a railroad causeway.
Location	Utah, United States
Coordinates	41°10′N 112°35′W
Type	Endorheic, hypersaline, generally 27% salinity
Primary inflows	Bear, Jordan, Weber rivers
Catchment area	21,500 sq mi (56,000 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	75 mi (121 km)
Max. width	28 mi (45 km)
Surface area	1,700 sq mi (4,400 km2)
Average depth	16 ft (4.9 m), when lake is at average level
Max. depth	33 ft (10 m) average, high of 45 ft (14 m) in 1987, low of 24 ft (7.3 m) in 1963
Water volume	15,338,693.6 acre⋅ft (18.92 km3)
Surface elevation	historical average of 4,200 ft (1,300 m), 4,196.6 ft (1,279.1 m) as of 2006 August 24
Islands	8-15 (variable, see Islands)
Settlements	Salt Lake and Ogden metropolitan areas.

The lake is about 75 miles (121 km) long and 28 miles (45 km) wide. Its surface area averages 1,700 square miles (4,400 km²), but because of its desert location, its size changes very often. The three major rivers that flow into it are the Jordan, Weber, and Bear rivers. Because of its similarity to the Dead Sea in Asia, it has been called "America's Dead Sea".^[3] However, the lake is a rich habitat for many species of birds, shrimp, and other animals.

The lakeshore borders Davis, Tooele, Box Elder, Salt Lake, and Weber counties, all in the state of Utah.^[1]