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Show possibility of locating such a complex near Great Salt Lake. The discovery of a large quantity of oil beneath the lake could give the necessary inpetus to such a major development. The main concern created by oil drilling is the possibility of oil spills, either single spill or some type of chronic pollution. Due to the wide extent of oil exploration throughout the world many of the potential oil spill hazards which exist for Great Salt Lake have been researched for other geographic areas. Studies such as Baker ( 1971) have shown that chronic oil pollution destroys salt marsh vegetation even at low pollution levels. Nelson- Smith ( 1973) reported that crude oil had no adverse effect on adult brine shrimp. While studies of these types provide a wide base of knowledge certain aspects of pollution from oil spills need to be considered specifically for Great Salt Lake. A chronic oil spill is potentially more dangerous to the lake than a single spill due to the adverse effect it could produce on the lake ecosystem. The effect of a constant supply of hydrocarbons to the aquatic community has not been studied. Information of this type is important since a constant supply of hydrocarbons could create a shift in species dominance and disrupt the unique ecosystem of the lake. The single event spill represents a potential hazard to all social uses of the lake. Such a spill could contaminate the marsh lands below the diked areas, the recreational beaches, and the intakes to the mineral extraction ponds. The key to controlling damage from this type of spill lies in the ability of providing clean up before the spill reaches key use areas. Lake circulation data would provide an understanding of the movement of an oil spill occurring at any point in the lake and would aid in identifying areas of the lake where spills would be the greatest hazard to other social uses. With this information, the decision- maker could determine if the potential hazard is great enough to restrict drilling in certain portions of the lake. The state has already eliminated some potential conflicts between oil and gas development in the lake and other uses by restricting drilling in the vicinity of shore lines, islands, and marshes. This provides a buffer zone for recreational and wildlife uses. Possible conflicts between drilling and other uses such as boating should be identified. The research needs identified for oil and gas development are listed in Table 5. Recreation and Tourism Resorts and beaches. Great Salt Lake for many years provided major resort facilities for the tourists and local residents that visited the lake. The late 1880s and early 1900s saw the establishment and eventual failure of many resorts around the lake. Black Rock, Garfield Beach, Lake Point, Lake Park, Syracuse, and Saltair all flourished as major resort areas at one time during this period, but all eventually failed. Salt- air was perhaps the most popular with swimming facilities, a dance pavilion, and an amusement park. Saltair survived with varying degrees of popularity from 1893 until 1968 when it was once again closed and later destroyed by fire. The continuous fluctuation of the volume of the lake was a common enemy of the resorts. The bottom of the lake has a very gentle slope which results in a large change in surface area for a small change in lake volume. The location of the shore line varies drastically between dry and wet years. During periods of decreasing lake stage the shore line would recede, leaving the resorts high and dry. Saltair lost most of its popularity during the low lake periods of the 1930s and the 1960s when the shore line receded several hundred yards from the pavilion. The main recreational facilities presently found on the lake are at Silver Sands Beach on the south shore of the lake. These facilities provide the opportunity to swim, boat, or tour the lake. The use of the lake for boating has grown recently, mainly due to the use of fiberglass craft which are impervious to the effects of the salt brine. An active group of sail boaters has reestablished the old Salt Lake Yacht Club Charter. The State of Utah obtained the north end of Antelope Island and established it as the Great Salt Lake State Park. A highway between Syracuse and the park which was severely damaged several times due to increasing water levels, has been rebuilt to a higher elevation and is presently open to traffic. Great Salt Lake apparently has the potential to again serve the State of Utah as a major recreation and tourist center. Unlike many other uses of the lake, the development of the lake for recreational purposes is still in the formative stages which will allow the decision- maker to insure the systematic long- range development of this use. Because the recreational potential of the lake has not yet been fully realized, many of the study needs center on identifying potential recreational uses and the associated use intensities. The physical and economic impacts of such uses must also be considered. The research needs specifically deal with identifying present and potential uses, use patterns, use intensities, and use sites; identifying the facilities desired by present and potential users of specific * 32 |