The hidden freshwater beneath the Great Salt Lake

William Johnson, a geology professor at the University of Utah, explains new research uncovering a hidden freshwater aquifer beneath the Great Salt Lake playa. The study found ancient freshwater, possibly dating to the Ice Age, trapped in sediments below a thick saltwater layer and extending under the lake’s eastern edge. The discovery also explains mysterious reed-filled mounds in Farmington Bay, where pressurized freshwater rises through an unknown boundary. While not a fix for declining lake levels, researchers say limited use of the aquifer could potentially help reduce dust from exposed lakebed if carefully managed.