Great Salt Lake is Shriveling

Last fall, the Great Salt Lake in Utah, the USA, hit its lowest level since record keeping began, according to reports. The lake’s elevation sank to nearly six meters below the long-term average, shriveling the Western Hemisphere’s largest saline lake to half its historic surface area. Usually found in arid landscapes that receive little precipitation, saline lakes are the first in line to be affected by long-term droughts, which are becoming more common with climate change. According to a report released by researchers at Brigham Young University in January, the Great Salt Lake will likely disappear within five years if the current rate of “unsustainable” water consumption is continued.