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Hydrologic Influence on Ecosystem Functions

Water availability, sediment loading, and water quality each influence aquatic ecosystems. The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Great Salt Lake Basin, some of which are relics from previous climates whose continued existence is in question, provide the opportunity to answer the following questions:

How are aquatic species (invertebrates and fisheries) and resources (i.e. habitat conditions) related ultimately to climate, topography, and geology?

How will these systems respond to change, both in climate and land use?

The biota of the Great Salt Lake are linked to the lake volume and chemistry, with certain species appearing or disappearing as salinity increases. Salinity is controlled largely by the volume of the lake, which is directly related to the amount of flow into the lake from its contributing watersheds. The figures below give and indication of the vast difference in surface area and volume of the lake that can occur with changes in the hydrologic regime. These large changes in surface area and volume also directly affect the thousands of acres of wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake that are of global importance to migrating birds.

Source:  USGS

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