The Great Salt Lake is the eighth largest terminal lake in the world. Just yesterday I was on it in my kayak to watch the sunset. Our group of 20 socially distanced kayakers paddled out in good order, many giddy for their first time on the lake. In the distance were a father-son kayaking duo swimming and laughing. An illegal drone pestered us with its irritating mosquito-like buzzing.
The word “terminal” denotes both a point of connection and an end. The Great Salt Lake fulfills the former definition for millions of migratory birds. It fulfills the latter by having no natural outlet, which gives it its salty attribute and makes it home to its unique ecosystem which also happens to be a multibillion-dollar tax base for the great state of Utah.
The word “terminal” can also denote death. The Great Salt Lake does have a distinct eerie, otherworldliness to it. Its mysterious, willful nature, as well as foul odor, both attracts and repels. In my opinion, this is exactly what makes it so great. Maybe if the Great Salt Lake wasn’t so weird and stinky we would care more about saving it. To me, that is reason enough alone to save it.
Erica Marken, Salt Lake City