Utah Lake
Encyclopedia
Utah Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state
of Utah
. On the western side of Utah Valley
, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos
and Mount Nebo
. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River
, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake
and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts for 42% of the outflow of the lake, which leaves the lake slightly saline
. The elevation of the lake is legally at 4489 feet (1,368.2 m) above sea level. If the lake elevation goes any higher, the Jordan River pumps and gates are left open.
The first European to see Utah Lake was Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante in 1776. He stayed with the Timpanogots band of Ute Tribe
for three days. The Timpanogots were later moved out or integrated with the Mormon
settlers between the 1850s and 1870s. The fish of the lake were overharvested by the settlers and restocked with non-native species. Although thirteen species of fish are native to the lake, only the Utah sucker
and the critically endangered June sucker
remain. The dominant species in the lake is the common carp
, introduced in 1883 as an alternative to the over harvested native fish. The carp is now estimated at 90% of the biomass
of the lake and is contributing to a decline in native fish populations by severely altering the ecosystem. Pollution has also caused problems with the lake's ecosystem. Raw sewage
was dumped into the lake as late as 1967. Pollution problems still remain; the lake's phosphorus
and mineral salt levels are in violation of the Clean Water Act
.
Utah Lake is within Utah Valley
, in north-central Utah. Mountains surround Utah Valley on three sides: The Wasatch Range
to the east, Traverse Mountains to the north, and Lake Mountain
to the west. Mount Nebo
reaches an altitude of 11863 feet (3,615.8 m), and Mount Timpanogos
reaches an altitude of 11745 feet (3,579.9 m), nearly 7250 feet (2,209.8 m) above the valley floor. Jutting into the south portion of the lake is 6805 feet (2,074.2 m) West Mountain
, which divides Goshen Bay and Lincoln Beach. Utah Lake is situated on the western edge of the valley and covers more than 25% of Utah Valley's
floor. Because of its location on the western side of the valley, the eastern shore has a gentle slope and the western shore rises abruptly against Lake Mountain. Connected to the main body of the lake are two large, shallow bays: the aforementioned Goshen Bay to the south and Provo Bay to the east. Major cities such as Provo
and Orem
are located between the lake's eastern shore and the Wasatch Mountains.
Utah Lake is a remnant of a much larger pleistocene
lake called Lake Bonneville
, which existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago. At its peak 30,000 years ago, Lake Bonneville reached an elevation of 5090 feet (1,551.4 m) above sea level and had a surface area of 19800 square miles (51,281.8 km²), which was nearly as large as Lake Michigan
. The weight of the lake depressed sections of the lake bottom by as much as 240 feet (73.2 m) before the surface rebounded when the lake dried up. About 12,000 years ago, the climate of the region became warmer and drier. As evaporation rates exceeded inflow rates, the lake began to dry up, leaving Utah Lake, the Great Salt Lake
, Sevier Lake
, and Rush Lake
as remnants.
Over the roughly 65,000 years that Lake Bonneville existed, sediments built up, creating a lacustrine plain
over Utah Valley. As a result, the valley floor and lake bed are relatively flat, which causes the lake to be shallow.
The lake has a maximum depth of just under 14 feet (4.3 m) and an average depth of about 10.5 feet (3.2 m). This shallowness allows winds to easily stir up sediments from the lake's bottom, contributing to the turbidity
or the impression of pollution seen in Utah Lake's water.
Three faults run under Utah Lake. One of the faults, the Bird Island fault, runs under the eastern edge of the lake and helps give rise to hot springs
near Lincoln Beach. The other major hot spring is on the northern shore and is called Saratoga Springs
. The hot springs mostly result from the development of hydraulic pressure as the ground water slopes toward the middle of the lake.
The lake contains a small island called Bird Island, about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north of the Lincoln Beach boat ramp, near its south end. The island has a few trees and is somewhat visible from Lincoln Beach. During high-water years, the island may be completely submerged, the trees being the only indication it is there. It is a fairly popular destination among fishermen seeking walleye
, white bass
, and channel catfish
.
in the Uinta Mountains
. 782335 acres (3,166 km²) (32%) are managed by the United States Forest Service, 249329 acres (1,009 km²) (11%) are managed by other government entities, and the majority of the rest, 1263696 acres (5,114 km²) (51%), are privately owned.
Two major tributaries account for nearly 60% of inflow by streams or rivers into Utah Lake. The Provo River
accounts for 36% of the inflow, and the Spanish Fork River accounts for 24%. Other tributaries include the American Fork River, Hobble, Mill Race, and Currant Creeks. Additionally, there are many hot springs
and smaller creeks flowing into the lake. Utah Lake is drained by the Jordan River
, which begins at the lake's north end. The river flows north through Utah
, Salt Lake
, and Davis
counties and then into the southeast portion of the Great Salt Lake. Given the lake’s semi-arid climate, large surface area, and shallow average depth, evaporation accounts for 42% of Utah Lake's outflow.
After several years of drought, irrigation companies were arguing over their share of Utah Lake's water from the Jordan River. Judge Morse of the Third District Court issued his judgment that became known as the Morse Decree of 1901. The decree stated that the irrigation companies "are entitled to a decree awarding to them, subject to the limitations hereinafter set forth, the right to the use of all the balance of the waters of the Jordan River, for municipal, irrigation, culinary, and domestic purposes, to the extent of the capacity of their several canals, and the right to impound and store all of the waters of said river in Utah Lake." In response to the drought, a pumping plant was installed at the outlet of the Jordan River from Utah Lake. It was the largest pumping plant in the United States at the time. The plant contained seven pumps with a total capacity of 700 cubic feet (19.8 m³) per second. After the decree was released, Utah Lake essentially became an irrigation reservoir and the Jordan River's flow was highly regulated.
As a result of the 1983-1984 flooding, a lawsuit was filed for compensation due to flooding based upon breach of contract of the previous compromise level. In 1985, a new compromise level was reached which governed the maximum level of the lake. The new level was chosen to be 4489 feet (1,368.2 m) above sea level. When the water level in Utah Lake exceeds this level, the Jordan River pumps and gates are left open. The new compromise level also meant that the lake's elevation was below Jordan River's stream bed.
. The site dates back 3,000 years and over 30,000 artifacts have been found. The next recorded inhabitants were the Fremont people
who lived in the Utah Lake area from about 400 A.D. to about 1350 A.D. They consisted of small villages of hunters and farmers. They farmed corn, squash, and beans. When climatic conditions changed, they caused trouble for farming. Also, the ancestors to the Ute
, Paiute
, and Northwestern Shoshone moved into the area. As a result, the Fremont people left the area.
The third group to inhabit the area were the Utes of central Utah and eastern Colorado. The Timpanogot (also called Timpanogos, Timpanogotzi, Timpannah, and Tempenny) band of the Utes inhabited Utah Valley. They were the most dominant band of Utes due to the relative ease in which to gather the plentiful food supply. During spring spawning season, groups of Utes from all over the region gathered at Utah Lake to gather fish. While population numbers are unknown, camps were scattered throughout the valley. In 1826, Jedediah Smith
visited a camp along the Spanish Fork river that had 35 lodges with about 175 people.
, New Mexico
to Monterey, California
. Two Timpanogots from Utah Valley acted as guides for his party. On September 23, 1776, the party traveled down Spanish Fork Canyon and entered the Utah Valley. From Escalante's journal, he describes Utah Lake: "The lake, which must be six leagues wide and fifteen leagues long, extends as far as one of these valleys. It runs northwest through a narrow passage, and according to what they told us, it communicates with others much larger. This lake of Timpanogotzis abounds in several kinds of good fish, geese, beaver, and other amphibious animals which did not have an opportunity to see. Round about it are these Indians, who live on the abundant fish of the lake, for which reason the Yutas Sabuaganas call them Come Pescados [FishEaters]. Besides this, they gather in the plain grass seeds from which they make atole, which they supplement by hunting hares, rabbits, and fowl of which there is great abundance here." Escalante named the lake Lake Timpanogos, after the tribe living in the area. Escalante's record clearly distinguishes between this Lake Timpanogos, a body of fresh water that he saw and sized, and Great Salt Lake, which he did not see or name, but was described to him as a river "communicates with others much larger." The next recorded European visitor was Étienne Provost
, a French-Canadian trapper who visited Utah Lake in October 1824. The city of Provo and the Provo River are named after him.
, an exploration of Utah Valley was conducted. The party brought a small boat in which they explored Utah Lake and caught fish with their nets. The first battle between settlers and Indians occurred in early March 1849. A company of forty men was sent into Utah Valley to stop the stealing of cattle from the Salt Lake Valley. The company met in the village of Little Chief, who told them where the people responsible for the stealing were located. A skirmish took place in which four Timpanogots were killed. The settlers named the site of the skirmish Battle Creek, which was later renamed Pleasant Grove
.
In April 1849, a group of about thirty families came into Utah Valley and settled on the Provo River, very close to the main Timpanogot village on the Provo River. The settlers built a stockade
called Fort Utah and armed it with a twelve-pound cannon
to intimidate the Timpanogots. In August, a Timpanogot named Old Bishop was murdered by three settlers over a shirt they wanted from him. Some Timpanogots shot at cattle or stole corn in response. Winter was especially hard and Timpanogots stole cattle for food. By January 1850, settlers of Fort Utah reported to officials in Salt Lake City that the situation was getting dangerous. They wanted a military party to attack the Timpanogots. A militia was sent from Salt Lake City and on February 8 and 11, and they engaged the Timpanogots in battle. On February 14, eleven Timpanogots surrendered, but were later executed while their families watched. A government surgeon went to the execution site and cut off the Timpanogots' heads for later examination. One militia man and 102 Timpanogots were killed. Over the ensuing years, fewer and fewer Timpanogots lived in Utah Valley and by 1872 all Timpanogots had moved to the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation
. However, some Timpanogots occasionally returned to fish on Utah Lake into the 1920s.
Captain Howard Stansbury
of the United States Army's Corp of Topographical Engineers was ordered to map, survey, and explore Utah and Salt Lake Valleys. In 1850, Captain Stansbury explored Utah Lake and Utah Valley, surveyed and made observation of the local wildlife.
, the silver-haired bat
, mule deer
, Botta's pocket gopher
, desert woodrat
, and striped skunk
. There are seventeen known native mollusca
to Utah Lake. Only three were reported in the lake ecosystem in 1969, and one species is extinct. The last living example of the freshwater snail Thickshell pondsnail
(Stagnicola utahensis) was reportedly seen in the early 1930s. Four specimens were sent to the Smithsonian Institution
in 1911 and the only known location for the snail was Utah Lake.
Today, about 226 species of birds use the lake either as their permanent home or as a stop over on their migration. The Utah Lake Wetland Preserve has been established at the south end of Utah Lake. It contains two units, one at Goshen bay with more than 21750 acres (88 km²) of land preserved, and another unit at Benjamin Slough. Birds seen at Utah Lake include sandhill crane
, double-crested cormorant
, great horned owl
, turkey vulture
, golden eagle
, cinnamon teal
duck, and mallard duck.
visited Fort Utah in June 1849 and saw thousands of fish being caught by settlers and Timpanogots. He estimated that 5000 barrels of fish could be secured annually from the fishery. The winter of 1885-1886 caused much of the livestock to die. LDS Church leaders sent members in the Salt Lake Valley to Utah Lake to obtain fish; an estimated 96000 pounds (43,544.9 kg) of fish were brought back. The first commercial fishery also started the same year. At the 1870 General Conference
of the LDS Church, a committee was appointed to develop fish culture because of the declining fish harvest in Utah Lake. By 1904, it became illegal to commercially catch any fish except for non-native species.
Of the thirteen native fish to Utah Lake, only two species still remain in the lake: the June sucker and Utah sucker. The June sucker was federally listed as an endangered species in 1986. The lower 5 miles (8 km) of the Provo River is the only known spawning location for the species. Biologists have been rearing the June sucker in Red Butte Reservoir and releasing them into Utah Lake to help build the population. During the summer of 2005, over 8,000 June sucker were released into Utah Lake. The June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) coordinates and implements recovery actions for the June sucker. One species, the Utah Lake Sculpin, is extinct. The last specimen was collected in 1928.
Of the ten remaining native fish elsewhere in the lake, the least chub
is under review to see if it qualifies for protection under the Engangered Species Act.
The Bonneville cutthroat trout
was the predator fish in the ecosystem, but the lake form has become extinct. A hybridized stream form still exists in streams in four states. A review in 2008 indicates that viable populations are distributed throughout its historic range and does not merit listing as a threatened or endangered species.
At least 25 species of fish have been introduced into Utah Lake's waters. Thirteen introductions were unsuccessful. Carp, white bass
, black bullhead
, channel catfish
, walleyed pike
, gold fish, bullhead
, yellow perch
, blue gill, and black crappie are found in abundance. The golden shiner
and the fathead minnow
are rarely found.
Introduced in 1883 as a source of food after native species had been depleted by overfishing, the common carp
is the most prevalent fish found in Utah Lake. Carp makes up about 90% of the lake's biomass
, with an adult population numbering around 7.5 million. The average carp in the lake is about 5.3 pounds (2.4 kg), for a total of nearly 40000000 pounds (18,143,694.8 kg) of carp in the lake. Due to their habit of grubbing through bottom sediments for food, carp stir up sediments and increase the turbidity of the water. In addition, they destroy submerged vegetation that holds sediments in place and provides shelter for native fish populations. Without vegetation, winds can more easily stir up sediment from the bottom of the lake, which is already a problem due to the lake's shallowness, resulting in greater turbidity and less sunlight reaching the remaining vegetation. Without cover for their young, native fish, such as the June sucker, become easy prey for white bass, walleye, carp, and other predators.
Current plans are for commercial fishermen to work for six years, beginning in the fall of 2009, to remove a total of 30 million pounds of carp. The intent is to cause a crash in the carp population which will allow the ecosystem to begin to rebuild and the June sucker to reestablish dominance in the lake.
plants instead of dumping raw sewage
into the lake. By 1954, many cities had constructed sewer treatment plants, but Provo's was still under construction. Raw sewage was still getting into the lake by 1967.
In the State of Utah, the Utah Division of Water Quality
and Utah Division of Drinking Water are responsible for the management and regulation of water quality. Lakes, rivers, and streams that exceed the standard levels are then placed on the DEQ 303d list in accordance with the Clean Water Act
. The Act requires states to identify impaired water bodies every two years and develop a total maximum daily load
(TMDL) for pollutants that a body of water can assimilate without causing the water body to exceed the water quality standards. Utah Lake was originally put on Utah's 2000 and 2004 303d list for phosphorus and total dissolved solids (TDS) exceeding recommend values. High levels of phosphorus can cause high levels of nuisance algae growth, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated pH levels. TDS tells about the concentration of mineral salts in the water, which can cause problems to agriculture and culinary water supplies.
-Orem
metropolitan area
, Utah Lake is a fairly popular destination. From the 1880s to the 1930s, up to twelve resorts offering boat rentals, picnic facilities, dance halls, swimming pools, and bath houses served tourists at the lake. The most popular and longest-lived resort was Saratoga Springs, on the north shore. Saratoga Springs was best known for its natural hot springs, but also had waterslides and amusement park rides. It lasted from the 1860s until the floods of 1984. Today, fishing
, water skiing
, boating
, camping
, picnicking, and wildlife watching are the most popular activities. The main marina
for Utah Lake is at Utah Lake State Park
on the lake's eastern shore. Other marinas are at Saratoga Springs, American Fork
, Lindon
, and Lincoln Beach.
ruled in 1987 that State of Utah did own the land beneath Utah Lake.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. On the western side of Utah Valley
Utah Valley
Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Highland, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Lehi, Payson, and...
, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos, sometimes informally referred to as Timp, is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet above sea level in the Uinta National Forest...
and Mount Nebo
Mount Nebo (Utah)
Mount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah, in the United States. Named after the biblical Mount Nebo overlooking Israel, which is said to be the place of Moses' death, it is the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the Uinta National Forest.Mount...
. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts for 42% of the outflow of the lake, which leaves the lake slightly saline
Saline
Saline may refer to:* Salinity, the salt content of a solution** Saline water, water containing significant concentration of salts* Soil salinity, salt content of soil* Saline , a liquid with salt content to match the human body...
. The elevation of the lake is legally at 4489 feet (1,368.2 m) above sea level. If the lake elevation goes any higher, the Jordan River pumps and gates are left open.
The first European to see Utah Lake was Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante in 1776. He stayed with the Timpanogots band of Ute Tribe
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
for three days. The Timpanogots were later moved out or integrated with the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settlers between the 1850s and 1870s. The fish of the lake were overharvested by the settlers and restocked with non-native species. Although thirteen species of fish are native to the lake, only the Utah sucker
Utah sucker
The Utah Sucker, Catostomus ardens, is a sucker of the family Catostomidae found in the upper Snake River and the Lake Bonneville areas of western North America....
and the critically endangered June sucker
June sucker
The June sucker, Chasmistes liorus, is an endangered species of fish endemic to Utah Lake and the Provo River, where it is now under protection. It is a member of the sucker family Catostomidae, and occurs in sympatry with the benthic Utah sucker Catostomus ardens.Unlike most other suckers, the...
remain. The dominant species in the lake is the common carp
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
, introduced in 1883 as an alternative to the over harvested native fish. The carp is now estimated at 90% of the biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
of the lake and is contributing to a decline in native fish populations by severely altering the ecosystem. Pollution has also caused problems with the lake's ecosystem. Raw sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
was dumped into the lake as late as 1967. Pollution problems still remain; the lake's phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
and mineral salt levels are in violation of the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
.
Geography
Utah Valley
Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Highland, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Lehi, Payson, and...
, in north-central Utah. Mountains surround Utah Valley on three sides: The Wasatch Range
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
to the east, Traverse Mountains to the north, and Lake Mountain
Lake Mountain (Utah)
Lake Mountain is a stretch of mountains that lie west of Utah Lake in Utah County, Utah. The small range extends from north to south. It serves several radio and television needs for the towns of Provo, Orem, American Fork and almost all of Utah county. The highest point of the range is above sea...
to the west. Mount Nebo
Mount Nebo (Utah)
Mount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah, in the United States. Named after the biblical Mount Nebo overlooking Israel, which is said to be the place of Moses' death, it is the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the Uinta National Forest.Mount...
reaches an altitude of 11863 feet (3,615.8 m), and Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos, sometimes informally referred to as Timp, is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet above sea level in the Uinta National Forest...
reaches an altitude of 11745 feet (3,579.9 m), nearly 7250 feet (2,209.8 m) above the valley floor. Jutting into the south portion of the lake is 6805 feet (2,074.2 m) West Mountain
West Mountain (Utah)
West Mountain is a mountain located southwest of Provo, Utah and west of Benjamin, Utah. It is home to a radio station tower for KTCE, an FM station licensed to Payson, Utah and operating on 92.1 MHz. The mountain is also home to various FM radio translators and an observatory used by students...
, which divides Goshen Bay and Lincoln Beach. Utah Lake is situated on the western edge of the valley and covers more than 25% of Utah Valley's
Utah Valley
Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Highland, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Lehi, Payson, and...
floor. Because of its location on the western side of the valley, the eastern shore has a gentle slope and the western shore rises abruptly against Lake Mountain. Connected to the main body of the lake are two large, shallow bays: the aforementioned Goshen Bay to the south and Provo Bay to the east. Major cities such as Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
and Orem
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
are located between the lake's eastern shore and the Wasatch Mountains.
Utah Lake is a remnant of a much larger pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
lake called Lake Bonneville
Lake Bonneville
Lake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North America's Great Basin region. Most of the territory it covered was in present-day Utah, though parts of the lake extended into present-day Idaho and Nevada. Formed about 32,000 years ago, it existed until about 14,500 years...
, which existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago. At its peak 30,000 years ago, Lake Bonneville reached an elevation of 5090 feet (1,551.4 m) above sea level and had a surface area of 19800 square miles (51,281.8 km²), which was nearly as large as Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The weight of the lake depressed sections of the lake bottom by as much as 240 feet (73.2 m) before the surface rebounded when the lake dried up. About 12,000 years ago, the climate of the region became warmer and drier. As evaporation rates exceeded inflow rates, the lake began to dry up, leaving Utah Lake, the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
, Sevier Lake
Sevier Lake
Sevier Lake is an intermittent and endorheic lake which lies in the lowest part of the Sevier Desert, Millard County, Utah. Like Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake, it is a remnant of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. Sevier Lake is fed primarily by the Beaver and Sevier rivers, and the additional inflow...
, and Rush Lake
Rush Lake (Utah)
Rush Lake is a shallow saline lake in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is a 16,800 year old remnant of Lake Bonneville, an ancient lake that formed approximately 32,000 years ago...
as remnants.
Over the roughly 65,000 years that Lake Bonneville existed, sediments built up, creating a lacustrine plain
Lacustrine plain
Some lakes get filled up by the sediments brought down by the rivers and turn into plains in the course of time. Such plains are called lacustrine plains...
over Utah Valley. As a result, the valley floor and lake bed are relatively flat, which causes the lake to be shallow.
The lake has a maximum depth of just under 14 feet (4.3 m) and an average depth of about 10.5 feet (3.2 m). This shallowness allows winds to easily stir up sediments from the lake's bottom, contributing to the turbidity
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....
or the impression of pollution seen in Utah Lake's water.
Three faults run under Utah Lake. One of the faults, the Bird Island fault, runs under the eastern edge of the lake and helps give rise to hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
near Lincoln Beach. The other major hot spring is on the northern shore and is called Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs, Utah
Saratoga Springs is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. The elevation is 4,505 feet. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is a relatively new development along the northern shores of Utah Lake. It was incorporated on December 31, 1997 and has...
. The hot springs mostly result from the development of hydraulic pressure as the ground water slopes toward the middle of the lake.
The lake contains a small island called Bird Island, about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north of the Lincoln Beach boat ramp, near its south end. The island has a few trees and is somewhat visible from Lincoln Beach. During high-water years, the island may be completely submerged, the trees being the only indication it is there. It is a fairly popular destination among fishermen seeking walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, white bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
, and channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
.
Hydrology
The Utah Lake watershed drains 3846 square miles (9,961.1 km²) over mostly mountainous terrain. The watershed's highest point is at 11765 feet (3,586 m) Bald MountainBald Mountain (Utah)
Bald Mountain is a peak in the western Uinta Mountain Range. It is an easy hike from Bald Mountain Pass and has spectacular views of the surrounding areas. The mountain is home to mountain goats, pika, and many species of wildflowers....
in the Uinta Mountains
Uinta Mountains
The Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah and extreme northwestern Colorado in the United States. A subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are unusual for being the highest range in the contiguous United States running east to west, and lie approximately east of Salt...
. 782335 acres (3,166 km²) (32%) are managed by the United States Forest Service, 249329 acres (1,009 km²) (11%) are managed by other government entities, and the majority of the rest, 1263696 acres (5,114 km²) (51%), are privately owned.
Two major tributaries account for nearly 60% of inflow by streams or rivers into Utah Lake. The Provo River
Provo River (Utah)
The Provo River is located in Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah, in the United States. It rises in the Uinta Mountains at Washington Lake and flows about southwest to Utah Lake at the city of Provo, Utah.-Course:...
accounts for 36% of the inflow, and the Spanish Fork River accounts for 24%. Other tributaries include the American Fork River, Hobble, Mill Race, and Currant Creeks. Additionally, there are many hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
and smaller creeks flowing into the lake. Utah Lake is drained by the Jordan River
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
, which begins at the lake's north end. The river flows north through Utah
Utah County, Utah
Utah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
, Salt Lake
Salt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
, and Davis
Davis County, Utah
Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 306,479, a 28.2% increase over the 2000 figure of 238,994. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county is part of the Ogden–Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area as...
counties and then into the southeast portion of the Great Salt Lake. Given the lake’s semi-arid climate, large surface area, and shallow average depth, evaporation accounts for 42% of Utah Lake's outflow.
After several years of drought, irrigation companies were arguing over their share of Utah Lake's water from the Jordan River. Judge Morse of the Third District Court issued his judgment that became known as the Morse Decree of 1901. The decree stated that the irrigation companies "are entitled to a decree awarding to them, subject to the limitations hereinafter set forth, the right to the use of all the balance of the waters of the Jordan River, for municipal, irrigation, culinary, and domestic purposes, to the extent of the capacity of their several canals, and the right to impound and store all of the waters of said river in Utah Lake." In response to the drought, a pumping plant was installed at the outlet of the Jordan River from Utah Lake. It was the largest pumping plant in the United States at the time. The plant contained seven pumps with a total capacity of 700 cubic feet (19.8 m³) per second. After the decree was released, Utah Lake essentially became an irrigation reservoir and the Jordan River's flow was highly regulated.
As a result of the 1983-1984 flooding, a lawsuit was filed for compensation due to flooding based upon breach of contract of the previous compromise level. In 1985, a new compromise level was reached which governed the maximum level of the lake. The new level was chosen to be 4489 feet (1,368.2 m) above sea level. When the water level in Utah Lake exceeds this level, the Jordan River pumps and gates are left open. The new compromise level also meant that the lake's elevation was below Jordan River's stream bed.
Pre-European
The first inhabitants of the area were nomadic hunter-gatherers of the Desert Archaic Culture. An archeology site, called the Soo'nkahni Village, has been explored next to the Jordan River in DraperDraper, Utah
Draper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah Counties in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Between 1990 and 2000 Draper was Utah's fastest-growing city over 5,000 people . Its population in 1990 was 7,143 and had grown to 25,220 by the 2000 census...
. The site dates back 3,000 years and over 30,000 artifacts have been found. The next recorded inhabitants were the Fremont people
Fremont culture
The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
who lived in the Utah Lake area from about 400 A.D. to about 1350 A.D. They consisted of small villages of hunters and farmers. They farmed corn, squash, and beans. When climatic conditions changed, they caused trouble for farming. Also, the ancestors to the Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
, Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
, and Northwestern Shoshone moved into the area. As a result, the Fremont people left the area.
The third group to inhabit the area were the Utes of central Utah and eastern Colorado. The Timpanogot (also called Timpanogos, Timpanogotzi, Timpannah, and Tempenny) band of the Utes inhabited Utah Valley. They were the most dominant band of Utes due to the relative ease in which to gather the plentiful food supply. During spring spawning season, groups of Utes from all over the region gathered at Utah Lake to gather fish. While population numbers are unknown, camps were scattered throughout the valley. In 1826, Jedediah Smith
Jedediah Smith
Jedediah Strong Smith was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer, author, cartographer, cattleman, and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the American West Coast and the Southwest during the 19th century...
visited a camp along the Spanish Fork river that had 35 lodges with about 175 people.
European explorers
Franciscan missionary Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, while on his expedition in late summer and early autumn of 1776, was trying to find a land route from Santa FeSanta Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to Monterey, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Two Timpanogots from Utah Valley acted as guides for his party. On September 23, 1776, the party traveled down Spanish Fork Canyon and entered the Utah Valley. From Escalante's journal, he describes Utah Lake: "The lake, which must be six leagues wide and fifteen leagues long, extends as far as one of these valleys. It runs northwest through a narrow passage, and according to what they told us, it communicates with others much larger. This lake of Timpanogotzis abounds in several kinds of good fish, geese, beaver, and other amphibious animals which did not have an opportunity to see. Round about it are these Indians, who live on the abundant fish of the lake, for which reason the Yutas Sabuaganas call them Come Pescados [FishEaters]. Besides this, they gather in the plain grass seeds from which they make atole, which they supplement by hunting hares, rabbits, and fowl of which there is great abundance here." Escalante named the lake Lake Timpanogos, after the tribe living in the area. Escalante's record clearly distinguishes between this Lake Timpanogos, a body of fresh water that he saw and sized, and Great Salt Lake, which he did not see or name, but was described to him as a river "communicates with others much larger." The next recorded European visitor was Étienne Provost
Étienne Provost
Étienne Provost was a French Canadian fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence...
, a French-Canadian trapper who visited Utah Lake in October 1824. The city of Provo and the Provo River are named after him.
Early Mormon settlement
The Mormon settlement of Utah began in July 1847, when pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. Under the direction of Parley P. PrattParley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
, an exploration of Utah Valley was conducted. The party brought a small boat in which they explored Utah Lake and caught fish with their nets. The first battle between settlers and Indians occurred in early March 1849. A company of forty men was sent into Utah Valley to stop the stealing of cattle from the Salt Lake Valley. The company met in the village of Little Chief, who told them where the people responsible for the stealing were located. A skirmish took place in which four Timpanogots were killed. The settlers named the site of the skirmish Battle Creek, which was later renamed Pleasant Grove
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Pleasant Grove, also known as "Utah's City of Trees", is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,798 at the 2008 census estimates.-History:...
.
In April 1849, a group of about thirty families came into Utah Valley and settled on the Provo River, very close to the main Timpanogot village on the Provo River. The settlers built a stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
called Fort Utah and armed it with a twelve-pound cannon
Twelve-pound cannon
The twelve-pound cannon is a cannon that fires twelve-pound projectiles from its barrel, as well as grapeshot, chainshot, shrapnel, and later shells and canister shot. It was first used during the Tudor period and reached its production top in the Napoleonic wars...
to intimidate the Timpanogots. In August, a Timpanogot named Old Bishop was murdered by three settlers over a shirt they wanted from him. Some Timpanogots shot at cattle or stole corn in response. Winter was especially hard and Timpanogots stole cattle for food. By January 1850, settlers of Fort Utah reported to officials in Salt Lake City that the situation was getting dangerous. They wanted a military party to attack the Timpanogots. A militia was sent from Salt Lake City and on February 8 and 11, and they engaged the Timpanogots in battle. On February 14, eleven Timpanogots surrendered, but were later executed while their families watched. A government surgeon went to the execution site and cut off the Timpanogots' heads for later examination. One militia man and 102 Timpanogots were killed. Over the ensuing years, fewer and fewer Timpanogots lived in Utah Valley and by 1872 all Timpanogots had moved to the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation
Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation
The Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation is located in northeastern Utah, USA. It is the homeland of the Northern Ute Tribe, and is the largest of three Indian reservations inhabited by members of the Ute Tribe of Native Americans. It lies in parts of seven counties; in descending order of land area...
. However, some Timpanogots occasionally returned to fish on Utah Lake into the 1920s.
Captain Howard Stansbury
Howard Stansbury
Howard Stansbury was a major in the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. His most notable achievement was leading a two-year expedition to survey the Great Salt Lake and its surroundings...
of the United States Army's Corp of Topographical Engineers was ordered to map, survey, and explore Utah and Salt Lake Valleys. In 1850, Captain Stansbury explored Utah Lake and Utah Valley, surveyed and made observation of the local wildlife.
Ecosystem
Historically, there have been four species of amphibia, twelve species of reptiles, thirteen species of fish, 152 species of birds, and forty-two species of mammals found in the environs of Utah Lake. The dumping of raw sewage, destruction of natural habit, hunting, and the introduction of non-native fish species have taken a toll on the native species surrounding the lake. Some of the mammals that live around the lake are the big brown batBig brown bat
The Big Brown Bat is larger in size than comparative species of bats, from about 4 to 5 inches in body length, with a 11-13 inch wingspan and weighing 1/2 to 5/8 ounce. The fur is moderately long, and shiny brown...
, the silver-haired bat
Silver-Haired Bat
The Silver-haired Bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae and the only member of the genus Lasionycteris.- Habitat :...
, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, Botta's pocket gopher
Botta's pocket gopher
Botta's pocket gopher is a pocket gopher native to western North America, from California east to Texas and from southern Utah and Colorado south to Mexico...
, desert woodrat
Desert Woodrat
The Desert Woodrat is a small species of pack rat native to desert regions of western North America, ranging from southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, south to California in the U.S., and Baja California and extreme northwestern Sonora in Mexico.This pack rat is 8.5 to 15 inches long...
, and striped skunk
Striped Skunk
The striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States.-Description:...
. There are seventeen known native mollusca
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
to Utah Lake. Only three were reported in the lake ecosystem in 1969, and one species is extinct. The last living example of the freshwater snail Thickshell pondsnail
Thickshell pondsnail
Stagnicola utahensis, common name the thickshell pondsnail, is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.- Shell description :...
(Stagnicola utahensis) was reportedly seen in the early 1930s. Four specimens were sent to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in 1911 and the only known location for the snail was Utah Lake.
Birds
During the 1800s and lasting into the 1930s, the killing of fish-eating birds was seen as a fish conservation measure. Bounties were given by local government entities, and upon presenting evidence of offending dead birds, game officers paid the bounties. A report by a hunter states, "There was a bounty paid on cranes and heron in 1895. Two men could make as high as $66 a day. Wading into the rookeries with their pants off they would crack the heron over the head. When the bounty was paid on pelican we would use a fish float tide to a wad of rushes. Gulls were also caught. There has been 10,000 slaughtered. At the Big Channel gidls have been shot and there are four or five hundred pelicans which have been shot. In 1928 I killed 1,240 mudhens [Coot]. We would eat the hearts and gizzards, take the feathers and oil and discard the rest."Today, about 226 species of birds use the lake either as their permanent home or as a stop over on their migration. The Utah Lake Wetland Preserve has been established at the south end of Utah Lake. It contains two units, one at Goshen bay with more than 21750 acres (88 km²) of land preserved, and another unit at Benjamin Slough. Birds seen at Utah Lake include sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, double-crested cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
The Double-crested Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It occurs along inland waterways as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico...
, great horned owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
, turkey vulture
Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, cinnamon teal
Cinnamon Teal
The Cinnamon Teal is a small, reddish dabbling duck found in marshes and ponds of western North and South America.thumb|left|Female Anas cyanoptera septentrionalium...
duck, and mallard duck.
Fish
Parley P. PrattParley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
visited Fort Utah in June 1849 and saw thousands of fish being caught by settlers and Timpanogots. He estimated that 5000 barrels of fish could be secured annually from the fishery. The winter of 1885-1886 caused much of the livestock to die. LDS Church leaders sent members in the Salt Lake Valley to Utah Lake to obtain fish; an estimated 96000 pounds (43,544.9 kg) of fish were brought back. The first commercial fishery also started the same year. At the 1870 General Conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
of the LDS Church, a committee was appointed to develop fish culture because of the declining fish harvest in Utah Lake. By 1904, it became illegal to commercially catch any fish except for non-native species.
Of the thirteen native fish to Utah Lake, only two species still remain in the lake: the June sucker and Utah sucker. The June sucker was federally listed as an endangered species in 1986. The lower 5 miles (8 km) of the Provo River is the only known spawning location for the species. Biologists have been rearing the June sucker in Red Butte Reservoir and releasing them into Utah Lake to help build the population. During the summer of 2005, over 8,000 June sucker were released into Utah Lake. The June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) coordinates and implements recovery actions for the June sucker. One species, the Utah Lake Sculpin, is extinct. The last specimen was collected in 1928.
Of the ten remaining native fish elsewhere in the lake, the least chub
Least Chub
The Least Chub is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family, the only member of the genus Iotichthys.It is found only in the United States...
is under review to see if it qualifies for protection under the Engangered Species Act.
The Bonneville cutthroat trout
Bonneville cutthroat trout
The Bonneville cutthroat trout is a subspecies of cutthroat trout native to tributaries of the Great Salt Lake, U.S.A. Most of the fish's current and historic range is in Utah, but they are also found in Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada...
was the predator fish in the ecosystem, but the lake form has become extinct. A hybridized stream form still exists in streams in four states. A review in 2008 indicates that viable populations are distributed throughout its historic range and does not merit listing as a threatened or endangered species.
At least 25 species of fish have been introduced into Utah Lake's waters. Thirteen introductions were unsuccessful. Carp, white bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
, black bullhead
Black bullhead
The black bullhead, Ameiurus melas, is a species of bullhead catfish. Like other bullhead catfish, it has the ability to thrive in waters that are low in oxygen, brackish, turbid and/or very warm. It also has barbels located near its mouth, a broad head, spiny fins and no scales...
, channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, walleyed pike
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, gold fish, bullhead
Bullhead
-Fishes:* Certain sculpins, including:** European bullhead, Cottus gobio** Siberian bullhead, Cottus poecilopus** Norway bullhead, Taurulus Liljeborgi* Catfish of the genus Ameiurus, including:** Black bullhead, Ameiurus melas...
, yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, blue gill, and black crappie are found in abundance. The golden shiner
Golden shiner
The golden shiner is a cyprinid fish native to eastern North America. It is the sole member of its genus. Much used as a bait fish, it is probably the most widely pond-cultured fish in the United States.-Description:...
and the fathead minnow
Fathead minnow
The fathead minnow , is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Pimephales genus of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North America, from central Canada south along the Rockies to Texas, and east to Virginia and the Northeastern United...
are rarely found.
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
is the most prevalent fish found in Utah Lake. Carp makes up about 90% of the lake's biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
, with an adult population numbering around 7.5 million. The average carp in the lake is about 5.3 pounds (2.4 kg), for a total of nearly 40000000 pounds (18,143,694.8 kg) of carp in the lake. Due to their habit of grubbing through bottom sediments for food, carp stir up sediments and increase the turbidity of the water. In addition, they destroy submerged vegetation that holds sediments in place and provides shelter for native fish populations. Without vegetation, winds can more easily stir up sediment from the bottom of the lake, which is already a problem due to the lake's shallowness, resulting in greater turbidity and less sunlight reaching the remaining vegetation. Without cover for their young, native fish, such as the June sucker, become easy prey for white bass, walleye, carp, and other predators.
Current plans are for commercial fishermen to work for six years, beginning in the fall of 2009, to remove a total of 30 million pounds of carp. The intent is to cause a crash in the carp population which will allow the ecosystem to begin to rebuild and the June sucker to reestablish dominance in the lake.
Pollution
In the year 1948, a study was funded that showed Utah Lake was being seriously polluted. As a result, Utah County cities decided to plan on how and where to build sewer treatmentSewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
plants instead of dumping raw sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
into the lake. By 1954, many cities had constructed sewer treatment plants, but Provo's was still under construction. Raw sewage was still getting into the lake by 1967.
In the State of Utah, the Utah Division of Water Quality
Utah Division of Water Quality
The Utah Division of Water Quality is an organization dedicated to preserving Utah's surface and underground water from certain hazards. It is a member of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.-External links:* *...
and Utah Division of Drinking Water are responsible for the management and regulation of water quality. Lakes, rivers, and streams that exceed the standard levels are then placed on the DEQ 303d list in accordance with the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
. The Act requires states to identify impaired water bodies every two years and develop a total maximum daily load
Total Maximum Daily Load
A Total Maximum Daily Load is a regulatory term in the U.S. Clean Water Act, describing a value of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards...
(TMDL) for pollutants that a body of water can assimilate without causing the water body to exceed the water quality standards. Utah Lake was originally put on Utah's 2000 and 2004 303d list for phosphorus and total dissolved solids (TDS) exceeding recommend values. High levels of phosphorus can cause high levels of nuisance algae growth, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated pH levels. TDS tells about the concentration of mineral salts in the water, which can cause problems to agriculture and culinary water supplies.
Recreation
Due to its close proximity to the ProvoProvo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
-Orem
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
, Utah Lake is a fairly popular destination. From the 1880s to the 1930s, up to twelve resorts offering boat rentals, picnic facilities, dance halls, swimming pools, and bath houses served tourists at the lake. The most popular and longest-lived resort was Saratoga Springs, on the north shore. Saratoga Springs was best known for its natural hot springs, but also had waterslides and amusement park rides. It lasted from the 1860s until the floods of 1984. Today, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, picnicking, and wildlife watching are the most popular activities. The main marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
for Utah Lake is at Utah Lake State Park
Utah Lake State Park
Utah Lake State Park is a state park of Utah, USA. It contains part of Utah Lake, the largest fresh water lake in the state.- Camping :Lakeshore CampgroundCamping April 1-October 31Reservations Accepted - April 15-October 15Stay Limit - 14 Days...
on the lake's eastern shore. Other marinas are at Saratoga Springs, American Fork
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
, Lindon
Lindon, Utah
Lindon is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,070 at the 2010 census.The western sculptor Grant Speed resides in Lindon.-Geography:...
, and Lincoln Beach.
Legal issues
The ownership of lands along the shoreline of Utah Lake has been in dispute between the State of Utah and farmers for many years. The bed of Utah Lake, along with other natural lakes, was granted to the state upon admission to the Union in 1896. However, due to the lack of an exact definition and significantly fluctuating lake levels, intermittently dry areas and wetlands, including all of Provo Bay, have been claimed and farmed by surrounding land owners. The US Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled in 1987 that State of Utah did own the land beneath Utah Lake.