The Great Salt Lake is one of the most unique water bodies in the West. It’s the largest lake in the U.S. with no outlet to the sea. Water only leaves through evaporation, so salt enters and never leaves. Its tributaries, which include the Bear, Weber and Jordan rivers,  have scoured rocks and mountains, depositing them in the lake as minerals and salts over millennia. Those salty waters help critters like brine flies and brine shrimp thrive, which in turn support millions of migrating birds. A dazzling array of species fly in each year, including ibis, stilts, egrets, phalaropes, gulls, swans, pelicans, plovers and avocets. The lake also supports multi-million dollar industries.
-Written by columnist Leia Larsen.