Northern Great Salt Lake Desert

Watershed Hydrology

The Northern Great Salt Lake Desert Watershed, also known as HUC 16020308, covers an area of approximately 1,458 square miles in northwestern Utah, USA. The watershed is characterized by a semi-arid climate with hot summers and cold winters. It receives an average of 10 inches of precipitation annually, most of which falls as snow in the winter months. The snowpack is an important source of water for the watershed, providing for the numerous small streams and springs that flow into the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake itself is the largest terminal lake in the Western Hemisphere and has a high salinity due to the lack of an outlet. The watershed is also home to several reservoirs, which are used primarily for agricultural irrigation. Climate change is expected to have a significant impact on the watershed, with projections indicating increased temperatures and decreased snowpack in the coming decades.


Surface Flows

Northern Great Salt Lake Desert Watershed

Snowpack Depths

Northern Great Salt Lake Desert Watershed

Dams & Reservoirs

Northern Great Salt Lake Desert Watershed

Groundwater Levels

Northern Great Salt Lake Desert Watershed

Northern Great Salt Lake Desert Rivers

Rivers of the Watershed