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By Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment March 5, 2025

The USGS, in partnership with multiple other groups, is learning about water-quality conditions across time and space in Saline Lakes ecosystems. This effort is part of the greater Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment. 

Return to the main Saline Lakes site here

Hydro Mappers

Saline Lake Resources

Background 

Media
Boat near the shore of Lake Abert on a smoky day
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Boats are used on Lake Abert to access hard to reach sampling sites. 

There is limited information on the water quality of terminal lake ecosystems within the Great Basin, USA. Terminal lakes are unique compared to other bodies of water because they have no outflow. This “closed” hydrology affects the composition of water, leading to higher concentrations of solutes as water gets removed via evaporation. Each terminal lake in the Great Basin has unique water-quality conditions. There are freshwater lakes while others are hypersaline. Some lakes are cloudy, or turbid, while others are clear. The unique water properties of each lake shape the structure of its food web and influence the availability of prey for birds. 

 

This project is assessing the physical and chemical properties of these lakes, including major cations and anions, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature. Terminal lake water-quality characteristics are affected by factors like local geology, physical conditions, and water management actions. 

 

Water quality is dynamic  

Water quality can vary significantly at a single site over time. Measurements may fluctuate widely depending on the time of day or season- a pattern known as temporal variability. Water quality can also vary across different areas of the same system, such as between opposite sides of a lake - known as spatial variability. To develop a more complete picture of what water-quality conditions look like, samples must be taken across lakes, throughout seasons, and over multiple water years.  

 

Media
Scientist processing water samples sitting behind a vehicle in front of a field
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Scientists processing water samples in the field to be sent off to labs.

 

 

What are we trying to answer? 

What are the water-quality conditions in impounded wetlands and terminal lakes of the Great Basin? How do the conditions change through a system and across time?  

How does salinity affect phytoplankton, the base of the food web?  

How does water management affect water quality?  

What are reliable, easy-to-measure proxies for salinity?  

What minimums, maximums, and patterns are measured in specific conductance, water temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen? 

Media
researchers wading in the lake with boats full of gear in tow behind them
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Deploying sondes and wind sensors in Summer Lake to get data throughout the summer.

Year to Date 

A main focus of this study is to quantify salinity concentrations and water types across the Great Basin. Sites were assessed to determine ideal sampling locations, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas. So far, the greatest number of samples were collected at the Great Salt Lake wetland habitats, while the least have been collected at Harney Lake due to dry conditions and difficult access.  

 

These measurements and samples are collected via regional synoptic surveys, water samples collected by partners, and using deployed monitors that remain in place. In the field, measurements are being collected for dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, and water temperature both discretely and continuously.   

 

Water Quality Indicators

See what water quality indicators can tell us about the environment
Indicator 
What we know
Why we care
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)Necessary for aquatic life. Some Saline Lakes have large swings in DO concentrations. Low DO concentrations can be harmful for fish.  
pHpH can be indicative of photosynthesis in a system. High pH can negatively affect fish gills.  
Cations and AnionsCations (positively charged ions) and anions (negatively charged ions) differ based on geology and other factors. Amounts and types can affect the organisms present and food web structure.  
Water TemperatureHigh water temperature can promote algal growth. Warm temperatures can be harmful to fish. 

 

Partnership 

This water-quality assessment would not be possible without support from internal and external partners for funding and data needs. Partnerships and ongoing projects at Mono and Walker Lakes, make available data that is already being collected. The Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program is a key partner helping to collect water and invertebrate samples in Great Salt Lake and its surrounding wetlands. We also sample opportunistically by asking partners who are going into study areas to grab samples for us. In addition, we have a long-running partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that strengthens our data collection in that basin. To learn more about the work USGS Oregon Water Science Center is doing at Malheur Lake, click here: Oregon Water Science Center's Malheur Lake Portfolio | U.S. Geological Survey. 

 

See what we have been up to 

Media
researchers attaching sensors to a tall gray pole in Lake Abert. Theres a solar powered wind sensor on the top
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Putting out wind and sonde sensors in Lake Abert. This will collect water quality data throughout the summer. 
Media
Four scientist looking out over the Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island. There are mountains behind them and clouds
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Overlooking the Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island.
Media
The shrimp resembles a small horseshoe crab with a large shelled bag and flagella edxtending from the backside
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Finding tadpole shrimp swimming upside down in Summer Lake. These shrimp are known as living fossils as they have exitsed since the Devonian age.

 

Case Study – Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge  

Stillwater National Wildlife is composed of numerous managed impoundments, resulting in a wetland complex with diverse habitat and water quality conditions. By collecting in-situ water-quality measurements and water-quality samples, we found that there was a huge range in specific conductance, which is a proxy for salinity concentration. Specific conductance varied from 275 µS/cm to over 200,000 µS/cm. For reference drinking water is in the range of 200-800 µS/cm while sea water is about 50,000 µS/cm.   

 

We found fresher conditions near the inflows along the west edge of the refuge, while much more saline conditions were present in the terminal ponds. These findings — showing that impoundments are driving changes in water chemistry and salinity concentrations — can help inform management strategies. 

 

What’s next? 

We gathered a robust dataset from multiple lakes and impounded wetlands to begin characterizing water quality across the Great Basin. Looking forward in 2025 we plan to:  

  • Quality check data collected so far.  
  • Deploy sensors to assess phytoplankton's response to changing conditions.  
  • Continue to collect discrete samples and continuous measurements. 
The shrimp resembles a small horseshoe crab with a large shelled bag and flagella edxtending from the backside

Tadpole shrimp in Summer Lake

Tadpole shrimp are also known as living fossils. This is because they have been around since the Devonian period, 350 million years ago!

By
Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
screenshot of the title slide of a presentation on saline lake ecosystems water budgets Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes
Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes
screenshot of the title slide of a presentation on saline lake ecosystems water budgets

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

The second webinar in the Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series is on physical and chemical monitoring in support of water budgets of select Great Basin saline lakes.

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
screenshot of the title slide of a presentation on saline lake ecosystems water budgets

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

The second webinar in the Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series is on physical and chemical monitoring in support of water budgets of select Great Basin saline lakes.

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment

Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe

Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program

University of California at Santa Barbaras Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory University of California at Santa Barbaras Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Utah State University (USU) Utah State University (USU)

The USGS, in partnership with multiple other groups, is learning about water-quality conditions across time and space in Saline Lakes ecosystems. This effort is part of the greater Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment. 

Return to the main Saline Lakes site here

Hydro Mappers

Saline Lake Resources

Background 

Media
Boat near the shore of Lake Abert on a smoky day
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Boats are used on Lake Abert to access hard to reach sampling sites. 

There is limited information on the water quality of terminal lake ecosystems within the Great Basin, USA. Terminal lakes are unique compared to other bodies of water because they have no outflow. This “closed” hydrology affects the composition of water, leading to higher concentrations of solutes as water gets removed via evaporation. Each terminal lake in the Great Basin has unique water-quality conditions. There are freshwater lakes while others are hypersaline. Some lakes are cloudy, or turbid, while others are clear. The unique water properties of each lake shape the structure of its food web and influence the availability of prey for birds. 

 

This project is assessing the physical and chemical properties of these lakes, including major cations and anions, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature. Terminal lake water-quality characteristics are affected by factors like local geology, physical conditions, and water management actions. 

 

Water quality is dynamic  

Water quality can vary significantly at a single site over time. Measurements may fluctuate widely depending on the time of day or season- a pattern known as temporal variability. Water quality can also vary across different areas of the same system, such as between opposite sides of a lake - known as spatial variability. To develop a more complete picture of what water-quality conditions look like, samples must be taken across lakes, throughout seasons, and over multiple water years.  

 

Media
Scientist processing water samples sitting behind a vehicle in front of a field
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Scientists processing water samples in the field to be sent off to labs.

 

 

What are we trying to answer? 

What are the water-quality conditions in impounded wetlands and terminal lakes of the Great Basin? How do the conditions change through a system and across time?  

How does salinity affect phytoplankton, the base of the food web?  

How does water management affect water quality?  

What are reliable, easy-to-measure proxies for salinity?  

What minimums, maximums, and patterns are measured in specific conductance, water temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen? 

Media
researchers wading in the lake with boats full of gear in tow behind them
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Deploying sondes and wind sensors in Summer Lake to get data throughout the summer.

Year to Date 

A main focus of this study is to quantify salinity concentrations and water types across the Great Basin. Sites were assessed to determine ideal sampling locations, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas. So far, the greatest number of samples were collected at the Great Salt Lake wetland habitats, while the least have been collected at Harney Lake due to dry conditions and difficult access.  

 

These measurements and samples are collected via regional synoptic surveys, water samples collected by partners, and using deployed monitors that remain in place. In the field, measurements are being collected for dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, and water temperature both discretely and continuously.   

 

Water Quality Indicators

See what water quality indicators can tell us about the environment
Indicator 
What we know
Why we care
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)Necessary for aquatic life. Some Saline Lakes have large swings in DO concentrations. Low DO concentrations can be harmful for fish.  
pHpH can be indicative of photosynthesis in a system. High pH can negatively affect fish gills.  
Cations and AnionsCations (positively charged ions) and anions (negatively charged ions) differ based on geology and other factors. Amounts and types can affect the organisms present and food web structure.  
Water TemperatureHigh water temperature can promote algal growth. Warm temperatures can be harmful to fish. 

 

Partnership 

This water-quality assessment would not be possible without support from internal and external partners for funding and data needs. Partnerships and ongoing projects at Mono and Walker Lakes, make available data that is already being collected. The Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program is a key partner helping to collect water and invertebrate samples in Great Salt Lake and its surrounding wetlands. We also sample opportunistically by asking partners who are going into study areas to grab samples for us. In addition, we have a long-running partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that strengthens our data collection in that basin. To learn more about the work USGS Oregon Water Science Center is doing at Malheur Lake, click here: Oregon Water Science Center's Malheur Lake Portfolio | U.S. Geological Survey. 

 

See what we have been up to 

Media
researchers attaching sensors to a tall gray pole in Lake Abert. Theres a solar powered wind sensor on the top
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Putting out wind and sonde sensors in Lake Abert. This will collect water quality data throughout the summer. 
Media
Four scientist looking out over the Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island. There are mountains behind them and clouds
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Overlooking the Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island.
Media
The shrimp resembles a small horseshoe crab with a large shelled bag and flagella edxtending from the backside
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Finding tadpole shrimp swimming upside down in Summer Lake. These shrimp are known as living fossils as they have exitsed since the Devonian age.

 

Case Study – Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge  

Stillwater National Wildlife is composed of numerous managed impoundments, resulting in a wetland complex with diverse habitat and water quality conditions. By collecting in-situ water-quality measurements and water-quality samples, we found that there was a huge range in specific conductance, which is a proxy for salinity concentration. Specific conductance varied from 275 µS/cm to over 200,000 µS/cm. For reference drinking water is in the range of 200-800 µS/cm while sea water is about 50,000 µS/cm.   

 

We found fresher conditions near the inflows along the west edge of the refuge, while much more saline conditions were present in the terminal ponds. These findings — showing that impoundments are driving changes in water chemistry and salinity concentrations — can help inform management strategies. 

 

What’s next? 

We gathered a robust dataset from multiple lakes and impounded wetlands to begin characterizing water quality across the Great Basin. Looking forward in 2025 we plan to:  

  • Quality check data collected so far.  
  • Deploy sensors to assess phytoplankton's response to changing conditions.  
  • Continue to collect discrete samples and continuous measurements. 
The shrimp resembles a small horseshoe crab with a large shelled bag and flagella edxtending from the backside

Tadpole shrimp in Summer Lake

Tadpole shrimp are also known as living fossils. This is because they have been around since the Devonian period, 350 million years ago!

By
Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
screenshot of the title slide of a presentation on saline lake ecosystems water budgets Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes
Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes
screenshot of the title slide of a presentation on saline lake ecosystems water budgets

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

The second webinar in the Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series is on physical and chemical monitoring in support of water budgets of select Great Basin saline lakes.

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
screenshot of the title slide of a presentation on saline lake ecosystems water budgets

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series: Physical and Chemical Monitoring in Support of Water Budgets of Select Great Basin Saline Lakes

The second webinar in the Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Fall 2024 Webinar Series is on physical and chemical monitoring in support of water budgets of select Great Basin saline lakes.

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment

Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe

Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program

University of California at Santa Barbaras Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory University of California at Santa Barbaras Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Utah State University (USU) Utah State University (USU)

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