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Utah's Great Salt Lake is a remnant of prehistoric freshwater Lake Bonneville, which once covered much of western Utah. It's the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. MaxPixel (CCO Public Domain)
In the hot summer of 2021, one of America's most spectacular lakes has been in the news and the reason for that is not good.
Salt Lake City, Utah, is just a short road trip away from its natural namesake, a large body of water known as the Great Salt Lake, or the "GSL." Filled with around 4.5 to 4.9 billion tons (4 to 4.4 billion metric tons) of dissolved salt, the lake has certain areas that are roughly 10 times saltier than the ocean.