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Show The location of a transportation route has a large impact on the development of an area. The road to Antelope Island has already created interest in developing motels and restaurants along the route. Access routes to the lake must be developed with consideration of the associated development they will foster. An extensive listing of research needs identified for the transportation use system is given in Table 8. Physical System Understanding the physical system is fundamental to the proper management of any system. Through this understanding the impacts of a management decision which requires alteration of the physical system can be evaluated and, thus, the negative impacts minimized. This allows the maximum benefits to society to be realized from the limited resources of the system. The need to understand and predict potential impacts creates the necessity for research on the physical system. Two problems exist concerning Great Salt Lake. First, the future of the lake under present conditions is not known. The construction of dikes and causeways, principally the railroad causeway, has changed the character of the lake by altering the circulation patterns, salinity, hydrology, and ecology. The information necessary to predict the future hydrologic and biologic characteristics of the lake has not yet been accumulated. This research is necessary in order to understand if the previous alterations to the system will produce conditions which will limit present or potential uses of the lake. If future trends were to indicate adverse conditions, the decision- makers could take steps to eliminate the adverse conditions. Secondly, the capability to predict the impacts on both the physical and social use systems of altering the present system has not yet been developed. Understandably, the development of this capability depends on researching many of the same topics needed to understand the future trends of the present system. Identification of the impact links between the physical system and the social use systems indicates the factors which must be addressed in building an understanding of the physical system. From the discussion of the social use systems it was established that some of the impact links are understood while others need to be researched. For example, the salinity of the lake is a physical system parameter with impacts on the mineral extraction industry. A research need identified for the brine shrimp use system was how the salinity of the lake affects the production of winter brine shrimp eggs. The impact the salinity of the lake has on the social use systems creates the need for an ability to predict future salinity trends under either present or altered conditions. Research on the physical system necessary to develop this predictive ability thus is needed. In the following discussion the physical system is divided into a hydrologic and biologic component. Table 8. Research need identified for the transportation system. Research Needs Possible Information Source Group A Methods of controlling high water damage ( flooding) in both the short and long- term. Economic analysis of various transportation uses associated with the lake. Feasibility of alternatives to causeway construction for access to the islands. The impact of causeway construction on the physical system, especially, circulation patterns, salinity trends, and the ecosystem. Group B The need for a route around the entire lake. The future demands of auto and bicycle access to the lake, especially, for recreation. Alternatives to auto access to the lake. Group C The need, advisability, and facilities necessary to provide boat access to the north arm and Willard Bay. DWR, UWRL, ACE UUBEBR, UDOT UDOT USGS, DWR, UGMS, UWRL, A. Lin ( U of U) J. Glassett ( BYU) G. Watters ( USU) UDOT UDOT, DPR UDOT UDOT, DWLR, DPR 37 |