The first recorded observation was in 1872, which stated that the lake's surface area was 188 square miles, salinity was measured at 86 parts per thousand, two and a half times that of the ocean, and maximum depth was 15 feet. In January 1880 the lake was nearly dry, and had been so for the past one or two years. The Sevier River which once flowed to the lake is now largely diverted for irrigation. In 1987 however, the lake was again similar to the recorded description of 1872.
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