The Great Salt Lake of USA it’s drying up This is not news to any of the people who live in its vicinity, but new satellite images taken by the European Space Agency show how much water has been lost in recent decades.
A month ago, this lake – presumably the sixth largest in the North American country – reached its lowest water level ever recorded. If in the 1980s it reached its peak, covering 8,500 square kilometers, today it is seen that it has lost almost half of its surface. The images of this body of water located in the state of Utah (west of USA) show it graphically.
Historic low water levels also caused the exposure of some 1,994 square kilometers of lake bedaccording to data provided by the National Geology Service of USA. Experts point out that the disappearance of the lake is a consequence of natural and human factors.
On the one hand, a megadrought affected this region of the US territory. On the other hand, the demand for water by the populations increased. Therefore, the water from the streams that feed the lake was redirected for use in residential areas and for agriculture. This growth in demand continues to escalate as Utah’s population grows.
consequences for all
The disappearance of the lake poses a great risk to local wildlife and the 10 million birds that migrate every year in search of food. However, these resources, which were previously found in the lake, are themselves in danger due to the higher levels of salt in the water. However, not only animals will see their welfare threatened.
As the water evaporates, exposing the lakebed, the health of nearby populations is also at risk. Dust clouds containing dangerous remnants of the mining activity of yesteryear may begin to fly in this region of USAsuch as arsenic and copper, and reach residents who, if inhaled, could suffer respiratory problems.