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Why the Great Salt Lake Basin?

The uniqueness of the Great Salt Lake Basin makes it an ideal location for a Hydrologic Observatory. The many unique scientific, political, and logistical characteristics of the Great Salt Lake Basin are described in more detail below. For additional information, click the 'more' link following each characteristic.

Scientific Reasons Closed basins represent tractable systems for investigating hydrologic processes over large areas. The Great Salt Lake (GSL) stands out as a collector and integrator of signals from climatic and anthropogenically-induced hydrologic change. These changes are recorded in ancient lake terraces, accumulated sediments, short-term lake level changes, and recent changes in lake water chemistry.  more >> The Great Salt Lake Basin is a snow-dominated hydrologic system, and as such it is highly sensitive to climate change.  more >> Changes in the volume of the Great Salt Lake, which have been recorded since 1847, represent the integrated effects of all of the major components of the hydrologic cycle.  more >> The steep topography in the region provides short distances from catchment areas to the regional base level. This physiography allows tractable transects across a range of geologies, elevations, climates, ecosystems, and land uses.  more >> There is a high degree of interannual variability in precipitation within the Great Salt Lake Basin. In addition, the precipitation distribution is not normal, with bimodal tendencies toward wet or dry periods.  more >> Political Reasons Semi-arid regions represent a significant portion of earth’s surface. More than three-quarters of a billion people (more than one in eight) are estimated to live in dry lands.  more >> The region is critically stressed. Population growth in the area has been about 5 times the national average, and the population is expected to grow approximately 50 percent in the next 20 years.  more >> Logistical Reasons The Great Salt Lake Basin is tractable—the major attributes of the basin can be captured with relatively low-density monitoring to the west of the Great Salt Lake and more concentrated hydrologic and atmospheric monitoring to the east.  more >> The region presents great opportunity for partnering of academic and non-academic research interests, since several universities, the USGS, USDA, USFS, NOAA, Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Water conservancy districts, and others, are actively conducting research in the basin.  more >> Access to land is simplified by the large percent of public lands present in the Great Salt Lake Basin.  more >> The GSL basin has long and complete histories of human habitation, land-use change, meteorology, and technological and water-use change in the western United States. Beginning with beaver trapping in the early 1800's and continuing with the extraordinary record keeping of settlers and early scientific investigations, this area has one of the best history of changes in the landscape of the western United States.  more >> The Great Salt Lake Basin is attractive to visitors year round, with a wealth of recreational opportunities. The Great Salt Lake basin is centrally located within the Western US, with transportation infrastructure that makes it easily accessible. An international airport is located near the center of the Great Salt Lake Basin.  more >>