Brigham Young University researchers led by Professor Greg Carling are sampling groundwater around the Great Salt Lake to determine whether it is delivering pollutants into the basin. Groundwater now supplies about 10%–15% of the lake’s inflow, and the team is testing for elements such as selenium, which in excess can harm wildlife reproduction and bird eggs. The study will help assess whether nearby mines are a source and guide efforts to protect this locally important ecosystem.
BYU Researchers Probe Groundwater Pollution Risk at Great Salt Lake
BYU research team examines groundwater pollution in Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY — A research team from Brigham Young University is investigating whether groundwater is transporting pollutants into the Great Salt Lake and assessing the potential ecological impacts.
Led by Professor Greg Carling of BYU's geology department, the team is measuring concentrations of dissolved elements in groundwater that flows into the lake. Carling notes that millions of people live in the lake's drainage basin and that groundwater now contributes roughly 10%–15% of the lake's inflow.
According to the Groundwater Organization, groundwater occupies cracks and voids in soil and bedrock and is a critical source of drinking water and irrigation. It is replenished when rain and melting snow percolate downward through soil and rock. As water evaporates from surface and subsurface sources, dissolved minerals can become more concentrated and remain behind.
The BYU team — including student researchers — is sampling groundwater around sections of the Great Salt Lake to quantify levels of elements such as selenium. The goal is to determine whether groundwater originating near local mines is delivering elevated selenium or other contaminants into the lake.
Excess selenium is of particular concern because it can impair reproductive success in wildlife and reduce viability of bird eggs. Understanding the pathways and concentrations of elements in groundwater will help managers evaluate risks to migratory birds and other native species that depend on the lake's habitats.
“I love to be able to study things that are just in our backyard,” Carling said. “It’s this amazing kind of otherworldly landscape, and we need to understand everything we can about the ecosystem in order to protect it.”
“This is such a beautiful area and such an amazing creation that we have. Why wouldn’t we take care of it? Why wouldn’t we want to make sure that it’s as clean and healthy as it can be?” said student researcher Megan Flexhaug. “If there is selenium here and it is affecting migratory birds, that’s something we’re responsible for and we need to help clean up.”
The study is ongoing. Results from the sampling campaign will help resource managers and the public understand whether targeted remediation or further monitoring is needed to protect the Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem and the species that rely on it.
