Scuba Diving in Great Salt Lake
Scuba diving in Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world, and the 37th-largest lake on Earth. In an average year the lake covers an area of around 4,400 km2, but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. For instance, in 1963 it reached its lowest recorded level at 2,460 km˛, but in 1987 the surface area was at the historic high of 8,500 km2. The lake is the largest remnant of Lake Bonneville, a pluvial lake which covered much of western Utah in prehistoric times. The Great Salt Lake has no outlet besides evaporation and has very high salinity, far saltier than sea water. The Jordan, Weber, and Bear rivers deposit around 1.1 million tons of minerals in the lake each year, and the balance of evaporated water is mineral-free, concentrating the lake further. Because of its unusually high salt concentration, most people can easily float in the lake as a result of the higher density of the water, particularly in the saltier north arm of the lake, Gunnison Bay. The lake's shallow, warm waters cause frequent, sometimes heavy lake-effect snows during late fall, early winter, and spring. Although it has been called "America's Dead Sea", the lake provides habitat for millions of native birds, brine shrimp, shorebirds, and waterfowl, including the largest staging population of Wilson's Phalarope in the world. In the summers, cool off with a deep-water dive in northern Utah's crystal-clear lakes. Swim amidst tropical fish and nurse sharks, dive in a beehive crater, hand-pick your crayfish, and discover “treasures” left behind or lost by other divers. Northern Utah's scuba diving sites are full of surprises; for example, you can even dive in the winter, at the region's hot springs. Equipment rentals and dive centers are available at or near each of the dive sites, save for Vernal being the closest dive center (about 125km away) to Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Majority in northern Utah scuba dive sites can be explored by any divers from beginner level to high experts gain the experience in Great Salt Lake.
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