10 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT
THE GREAT SALT LAKE:
1. "It stinks!"
The Great Salt Lake itself
doesn't really stink. This is a shore phenomenon that is experienced when one is downwind wading out along the mud flats or in the cities on windy days. Under-muds get churned up by
breaking waves. These muds are rich in organics from brine flies, fly eggs, brine shrimp, algae , etc. which are being decomposed by bacteria in an oxygen-poor environment (a
reduction-zone) which gives up a gas that smells a lot like rotten eggs -- Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). This odor is released and carried by the winds. So, what does it actually smell like
sailing out on "The Great Salt?" Sailors can tell you. It is a salty-sea smell, a lot like the ocean!
2. "It has too many flies"
Squeamish tourists often make this claim, but again the brine flies are largely another shore phenomenon. The large population of birds depending on them aren't complaining! Late July
through Early August is brine fly season. Brine flies don't bite, in fact, they are harmless. They are an extremely important part of the natural ecosystem, serving to remove tons of
pollution from the lake each year. (The stink back in the city would be phenomenal without them!) Away from the shores, one encounters few flies while sailing the Great Salt
Lake.
3. "It's too salty."
At 12-25% salinity, the Great Salt Lake is one of the saltiest seas in the world. Many think a sailboat would corrode and be reduced to a
bucket of rust, but fiberglass doesn't corrode and regular maintenance can minimize its effects, elsewhere. True, it's too much for powerboats to risk with those big expensive engines, but
it is ideal for sailing. Everything floats better in the higher salinity, too. Swimming and floating in the lake is a common entertainment in summer.
4. "It's dead, Jim."
False
again. It's teaming with life! Plankton, algae, brine shrimp, and brine flies form the base of a food pyramid that supports one of the largest biomasses on the North American
continent. Vast numbers of birds flock here. Take a drive out to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and see for yourself. The whole system is delicate, however, and needs our
protection, as evidenced by occasional die-backs or epidemics.
5. "It's polluted."
Again, the smell on shore, the flies, occasional die-backs or epidemics among birds, and a few
polluting industries add up to this impression, but in fact, the Great Salt Lake is still pristine in many areas and very much worth protecting against pollution. (Remember those brine flies that
remove pollutants? Imagine what it would be like without them in a lake with no outlet!) We all have to keep a watch on man and his industries around the lake . ("We have met the enemy
and they is us!") Pollution is everybody's business.
6. "It's a barren, ugly desert."
Hey, The Great Salt Lake has got to be one of
the most beautful spots on Earth! Don't take my word for it, visit Antelope Island, take one of the Salt Island Cruises, or come sailing and see. Its a real shame that so many live
next to these shores without appreciating this treasure in their own backyard. The Great Salt Lake in its desert setting has been compared to the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) by more than a
few sailors. Sunsets here are incomparable!
7. "It's too shallow and confining to sail."
Wrong again. The Great Salt Lake is shallow along its mudflats and shorelines, but with an
average depth of 20 to 30 feet, 50 feet maximum, it's sufficient. And there is plenty of it. The Great Salt Lake has an area just slightly less than the state of Connecticut. The area
that is actually
sailable is about the size of Delaware. The sailing area south of the railroad causeway that crosses the lake is about the size of Rhode Island. The "Great
Salt" is big enough to give any sailor a feeling of solitude in a matter of minutes.
8. "There's no wind."
I heard somewhere that The Great Salt Lake was rated alongside
the Chesapeake Bay for its wind conditions. One can find themselves becalmed anywhere, of course, but conditions can arise here such that its is often compared to Offshore Cruising on the
Pacific Coast,too. Ask any sailor to tell you about their white-knuckled experiences with the "Tooele Twisters" (pronounced too-EL-uh) or other storms. Winds can fetch up to
8' to 10' waves in some storms. But on the other hand, our glassy seas under good winds can make for some of the finest sailing anywhere.
9. "You can't sail in the winter."
Yeah, you can! The Great Salt Lake is singular in that it can be sailed year round. The salinity is so high that it practically never freezes. Sailing, while
surrounded by snow covered mountain landscapes, brings to mind vistas common in Norway and New Zealand. Very beautiful it is, sailing on those unseasonably warm winter days! One must
dress accordingly, use safe practices, and have a knowledge of hypothermia -- like any other winter sport.
10. "No one sails there."
There are approximately 360 filled slips in the Great
Salt Lake Marina, not to mention a regular host of faithful trailer sailors who launch from here. There is a second smaller marina at Antelope Island . The oldest continuously
chartered Yacht Club in America is found on the South Beach Shore -- The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club "The home of the worlds saltiest sailors." Certainly the home of the world's
friendliest sailors. Newcomers are constantly being congratulated and welcomed.
"THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!"
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