The Great Salt Lake is a lake that is located in the northern section of the state of Utah in the United States. At 1,700 square miles, the lake is the 37th largest lake on Earth and the fourth largest Terminal Lake (meaning that it does not drain into another body of water). The lake that stands today is a remnant of an even larger lake that covered most of western Utah in pre-historic times. Because the lake has no major outlets, the salinity of the water is extremely high (much higher than regular sea water). Because of the high salt content, people who swim in the lake will often float with little or no effort.
References
Fast Facts
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Location
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Fact:
Largest salt lake in western hemisphere
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Remnant of Lake Bonneville, from prehistoric times
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75 miles long, 28 miles wide
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1,700 square miles
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Sometimes referred to as "America's Dead Sea"
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Home to brine shrimp, shore birds and waterfowl
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Water has much more salt than sea water
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Salt Lake City was named after the Great Salt Lake
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Settlements
Salt Lake and Ogden metropolitan areas
