| Date | Elevation (feet) |
|---|---|
| 08/1972 | 4,198.4 |
| 06/1975 | 4,201.5 |
| 06/1984 | 4,208.9 |
| 09/1987 | 4,209.6 |
| 09/1990 | 4,202.4 |
| 07/1993 | 4,201.2 |
| 06/1996 | 4,200.8 |
Video images courtesy of Utah Reclamation,
Mitigation, and Conservation Commission.
Differences in coloration of the false-color infrared imagery in the satellite image map are due to physical, chemical, and biological factors. Terrestrial vegetation appears as bright red throughout the mountains and as well-defined patches in urban areas to the east of the lake. The white coloration adjacent to the lake on the north and west represents reflection from open salt-flat areas. Light blue coloration in shorelines and ponds on the east and west side of the lake is due to shallow water areas such as ponds constructed for salt extraction. The sharp line extending east and west across the middle of the lake is the railroad causeway that separates the lake into Gunnison Bay to the north and Gilbert Bay to the south. The difference in coloration of each bay is due to Gunnison Bay having much greater salt content that changes the reflection and supports several species of extreme halophyllic bacteria. Gilbert Bay is less saline and is characterized by several species of algae that reflect differently depending on the salinity. The differences are very prominent in the image for July 1993. At this time, the salinity in Gunnison Bay was 27.5 percent and Gilbert Bay salinity was only 14.5 percent.