What’s so great about The Great Salt Lake?

The Great Salt Lake ecosystem is a complex and unique saline ecosystem that is locally, regionally, hemispherically, and globally important. Check out the link below for a short video that explains how the GSL came to be.

This is the time of year we get to register for fascinating adventures with the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival, we look forward to it all year. Sharing personal experiences we’ve had with the Lake is one of the ways in which we can all work together to build awareness about the importance of Great Salt Lake.

The Lake provides a valuable mix of habitats from islands, open water, wetland complexes and uplands for native plant and wildlife populations. It also provides critical resting, staging and nesting capacity for over 260 avian species and millions of migratory birds. Interestingly the warming and cooling effect of the lake creates a temperature difference between the lake and air that often results in rain or snow as cold and warm air masses interact. The lake helps moderate air temperatures in the local area and creates a clime where extensive fruit crops can be grown up to 5,000 feet in elevation!

The Lake is an important economic contributor to the State of Utah through a variety of ecosystem services that include mineral extraction, brine shrimp, recreation and tourism among others. It provides $1.3 B annually to the state’s economy. The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands in the Department of Natural Resources has jurisdictional responsibility for managing the Lake sustainably for future generations. 

Get involved working to preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem: increase public awareness and appreciation of the lake through education, research, advocacy and the arts with Friends of The Great Salt Lake.