Title: The Destruction of Utah Lake and Wetlands

 

Author: Ingrid Wieser

Abstract:

Surface water in Utah has many essential uses such as a water source for irrigation and industry as well as a habitat for many wetland organisms. Utah Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the U.S. is an example of Utah industry and agriculture destroying a surface water body and its wetlands. The E.P.A. has recently put restrictions on the amount of waste that several industries, Geneva Steel in particular, can dispose of into Utah Lake. Presently, the lake is so polluted that many wetland species and fish have disappeared due to the destruction of the water quality. The E.P.A. lists several toxins introduced to the lake through point sources and this study will summarize the effects of these pollutants on the ecology of the lake and surrounding wetlands.

Key References:

June sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP). (2006). Retrieved March 30, 2006 from: http://www.junesuckerrecovery.org.

Schiffer, M. (2001). Ecology of Shallow Lakes.  Academic Publishers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA). (2006a). Toxics Release Inventory Envirofacts Report. Data retrieved on March 12, 2006 from: http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/tris_control.tris_print?tris_id=84057GNVST1600W.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA). (2006b). Surf Your Watershed. Data retrieved on March 30, 2006 from: http://www.epa.gov/surf/.

 

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Date: May 2006
Student: iwieser@willamette.edu
ENVR 327: Water Resources
Instructor: Dr. Karen Arabas
http://www.willamette.edu/~karabas/courses/envr327w