se
that mark the old levels along the sides of the mountains. Finally,
for some reason the climate began to change, the streams supplied
less water to the lake, and the evaporation from its surface became
greater because the air was drier. As a result the lake was lowered
to such an extent that it lost its outlet. The mighty river flowing
down through Red Rock Canon grew smaller and at last dried up
altogether.

In this manner the lake was again cut off from the ocean, as it
had been during its earlier history. The waters still continued
to recede, but not at a uniform rate. During periods of greater
rain its level remained stationary, so that the waves added new
terraces to those already formed.

As the lake had no outlet and was decreasing in volume, the water
became salty, for the minerals brought by the streams could no
longer be carried away. The fish either died or passed up into the
purer waters of the inflowing streams.

The water of the present lake is so salt that in every four quarts
there is one quart of salt, and the preparation of this commodity by
a process of evaporating the water in ponds has become an important
industry. The water is the strongest kind of brine and it is impossible
for a bather to sink in it. One floats about upon it almost as lightly
as wood does upon ordinary water. After bathing it is necessary to
wash in fresh water to remove the salt from the body.

The dry bed of the former Lake Bonneville stretches far to the
south and west of the present lake, and forms one of the most barren
and arid regions in the United States. It is sometimes called the
Great American Desert.

Why is the lake receding now? Some people think that the climate is
growing still more arid, and that the lake will eventually disappear.
Others think that its shrinkage is the result of irrigation, for a
large part of the water from the streams which supply it is now
taken out and turned upon the land. There is still another reason
which may account for the low water. The lake is known to rise
and fall during a series of wet and dry years. When first mapped,
in the middle of the last century, it was about as low as it is
now. Then it gradually rose for a number of years and lately has
again been falling.

The story of Great Salt Lake has been much more complicated than
the statement given above, but this is sufficient for our purpose.

Irrigation has made a garden spot of a large part of the old bed
of Lak