Images

Brine shrimp are an integral part of Lake Abert's ecosystem, contributing to its biodiversity and supporting many birds and other species. Brine shrimp have a high tolerance for salinity and are able to withstand freezing temperatures and are the lake's only winter residents.

Lake Abert, Oregon is one of the 20 terminal lakes identified by USGS partners as priority ecosystems for study by the Saline Lakes Ecosystems IWAA.

The Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Waterbird Movement Project began tagging American Avocets in March 2023 to track their movements across the landscape. Tracking data from these birds will help scientists better understand why these birds choose to use the terminal lake and wetland habitats they do in the Great Basin.

American Avocet are a bird that relies heavily on the Saline Lakes ecosystem during their spring migration periods. Over 50% of these birds exist here. Part of their use includes using the terminal lakes there to breed. 

Yellow-headed blackbirds can be found in the spring and summer in the marshes of terminal lakes and wetlands. Common sightings occur in the Klamath, Summer, Malheur and Harney lake basins.

Eared grebes in a courtship behavior in the Great Salt Lake. They are one of many migratory birds in the Great Basin that rely on terminal lakes and wetlands in the area to stop rest and feed. 

Photograph of Summer Lake Wildlife Area, an important stopping spot for migratory birds on their spring and fall migration flights. 

Walker Lake is part of the Great Basin in western Nevada. Walker lake is a rest stop for many migratory birds including Common Loon, Snow Geese, White Pelicans, several types of Grebe, Brants and Harlequin ducks. 

This word cloud displays answers to the question: what are the key mechanisms that interconnect the Great Basin landscape? The exercise was conducted at a stakeholder workshop in 2022. Answers that were selected by many participants have the largest text size and are more central in the cloud. The most popular answers were: climate, water, birds, fire and drought.

The Saline Lakes Team identified five primary thematic questions around environmental data collection activities or management needs: 1) How much water is there and how is it used throughout the watershed? 2) What are the hydrologic vulnerabilities of each saline lake? 3) What are the primary resources being utilized by representative taxa at each lake?

A map of the Great Basin, including parts of Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and California.

Looking east on Bullgate Pond at sunrise with lone tule white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons elgasi) in upper right, Summer Lake Wildlife Area, near Summer Lake, Oregon.

This Sora is likely looking to munch on some seeds from the wetland plants or a small aquatic critter. Sora's have huge migratory ranges and rely on terminal lakes of the Great Basin as they go between breeding and wintering habitats. 

A diagram showing the connection between water availability, water quality, saline lake habitats, and bird usage. Water availability drives water quality, which affects saline lake habitats that birds use. Water budget, water use, timing, vulnerability, and water depth are factors in water availability.

Map from the Great Salt Lake Water Dashboard from July 27th, 2022 showing the extent of the Great Salt Lake watershed. Markers are stream flow gages colored by flow status with warmer colors indicating below normal flow status, green as normal, and blue to black as above normal.

These scientists are working on The Great Salt Lake to determine the amount of water and qualities of it. This will help them in developing better management techniques that will work to support the migratory birds that frequent the area. 

These brine flies are an important fuel source for migratory birds, giving them energy for long flights. 

Andrea a USGS researcher measures the birds bill or "culmen". The culmen is measured from the tip of the upper mandible to the end where the culmen meets the forehead.

White-faced Ibis breed in colonies that shift locations from year to year with changes in water levels. The birds usually nest in dense marsh growth such as bulrush or cattails. 

Water table contour map (2018) of the Harney Basin, Oregon. Image is from a new groundwater basin study study by the Oregon Water Resources Department and U.S. Geological Survey for Harney Basin in southeast Oregon.

Malheur Lake, a saline lake in eastern Oregon, photographed from a USGS airboat. USGS has been monitoring water quality parameters including temperature, turbidity, and pH in the lake since 2017.