You might be in good company if you visit Enterprise Reservoir in Enterprise, Utah. That is, if you consider mule deer, mallard ducks, free-range cattle, coyotes and mountain lions good company instead of humans. On a recent afternoon road trip along Old Highway 120 to Enterprise Reservoir, a sense of anticipation grew at the opportunity to spend time in a place where, once … [Read more...]
Mysteries of the Great Salt Lake
MONSTERS, GHOSTS, CURSES, AND MORE...DEEP MYSTERIES OF A SHALLOW LAKE Abandoned places have a special allure, as if calling out to tourists, paranormal experts, and scientists alike. The Great Salt Lake is one of the most unique places on the planet. As the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere, and seven times saltier than the ocean, it’s hard to miss on a … [Read more...]
The Top Five Lakes in the High Uinta Mountains to Visit
I have been an avid backpacker and angler of Utah’s Uinta Mountains and its 600-plus fishable lakes for 55 years. As a teenager, I became addicted to fishing the mountain lakes closest to the Mirror Lake Byway with my cousin, who is now considered an expert, as he has visited so many lakes over the decades. Early on though, I decided we needed an approach to scoring lakes … [Read more...]
The Story of Utah Lake: Murky and Misunderstood
Utah’s public has long considered Utah Lake to be highly polluted. Once known as the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi, it is surprising just how unpolluted what later became a water storage reservoir really is. Extremely unique in the world, Utah Lake is 22 miles long by 15 miles wide, with an average depth of less than 10 feet. Because it is so shallow, … [Read more...]
A Brief History of the Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake was born Lake Bonneville ― the massive inland sea that covered the entire area that is now the Salt Lake Valley, Provo/Orem Valley, and well north of Ogden. The sea extended as far North as Idaho and South to Nevada. It was 150 miles from east to west and 250 miles from north to south. Its shores extended high on the east “benches” and its waves lapped … [Read more...]
The Endangered Utah Lake June Sucker
The June sucker (JS), native only to Utah Lake, was placed on America’s Endangered Species’ List more than a decade ago when there were less than 400 remaining in the lake. Two other native fishes of the lake, Utah Lake sculpin, and a unique form of our state fish, the Utah Lake Bonneville cutthroat trout, are already extinct. To save this unique suckerfish and its extremely … [Read more...]