# USGS Great Salt Lake Science

**Type:** source
**Status:** Useful
**Confidence:** High
**Source Type:** Government Science Portal
**URL:** https://www.usgs.gov/centers/utah-water-science-center/science/great-salt-lake
**Publisher:** U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Water Science Center
**Accessed:** 2026-06-19
**Updated:** 2026-06-19

## Summary

The USGS Utah Water Science Center maintains ongoing monitoring and scientific documentation of the Great Salt Lake's status, hydrology, and ecosystem. The USGS is the authoritative federal scientific agency for water resource monitoring in the United States, and its Great Salt Lake datasets are the primary independent source for lake level, salinity, brine shrimp population, and streamflow data from the lake's tributaries.

## Useful Claims

- USGS maintains continuous lake-level monitoring at the Great Salt Lake; the record low was reached in 2022 at approximately 4,188 feet above sea level (roughly 950 square miles of surface area vs. ~3,300 square miles at historical high stand).
- The lake has lost approximately 73% of its surface area since 1850 based on historical records and USGS monitoring.
- USGS streamflow gauges on the Bear, Weber, and Jordan Rivers provide the data underlying agricultural diversion estimates — approximately 70% of tributary inflow is diverted, primarily for agriculture.
- USGS brine shrimp and water chemistry monitoring tracks the ecological collapse risk as salinity rises beyond brine shrimp tolerance thresholds.
- USGS sediment studies have identified heavy metals including arsenic, antimony, and other contaminants in exposed lakebed sediments that become airborne dust.

## Reliability Notes

USGS is an independent federal science agency with no regulatory or commercial stake in Great Salt Lake outcomes. Its monitoring data are the most authoritative available for lake hydrology and ecosystem status. Policy interpretations and commercial opportunity assessments are outside USGS scope and should be drawn from other sources (Gardner Policy Institute, state agencies). USGS data are publicly available and updated on continuous or annual schedules.

## Related Pages

- [Great Salt Lake](great-salt-lake.md)

## See Also

- [Utah FFSL Great Salt Lake page](great-salt-lake-official-website.md) — state government management and policy context
- [BYU Great Salt Lake desiccation study (2023)](https://www.cpms.byu.edu/great-salt-lake) — widely cited five-year desiccation timeline projection
- [Great Salt Lake Collaborative](https://greatsaltlakecollaborative.org) — ongoing coalition tracking and advocacy