The evaporation left behind minerals such as potash and halite. After the evaporation of the waters of the pre-historic Bonneville Lake, a solid layer of salt was left lying behind, forming the present-day Bonneville Salt Flats. After the lake completely dried up, it left behind the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, Rush Lake, and Little Salt Lake as remnants.

With the effects of the climate change, the lake gradually dried up. The levels of the lake reduced to the Provo level after the Bonneville Floods. Most of its area covered present-day Utah, with little extensions to present day Nevada and Idaho. The pluvial lake covered most of the eastern region of the Great Basin. The drying up of the lake is attributed to the climatic change which was characterized by high temperatures and low precipitation. The lake was a pre-historic lake whose disappearance is believed to have happened approximately 14,000 years ago. The Lake Bonneville was large enough to be compared to the size of the present day Lake Michigan. Lake Bonneville existed during the Pleistocene period. The Bonneville Salt Flats came into existence after the disappearance of Lake Bonneville. The Bonneville Salt Flats covers a total area of 104 square kilometers. It is located at an altitude of 4,219 feet. The Bonneville Salt flat borders the interstate 80 in Utah to the south, and the West Wendover in Nevada to the west. It is part of the Great Salt Lake Desert. Benjamin Bonneville was US army officer who carried out an exploration works in the Intermountain Region in the 1830s GeographyĪs indicated above, the Bonneville Salt flat is located in northwestern regions of Utah.

The area was named after Benjamin Bonneville by Grove Karl Gilbert, a famous geologist. It is usually opened to the public most times during the year, with a few occasional restrictions, especially during events. The salt flat is open to the public and entry is free of charge. It is found in the northwestern Utah in Tooele County, and is a public property which is managed and taken care of by the Bureau of Land Management. Bonneville Salt Flats - Unique Places Around The World The evaporation of the pre-historic Bonneville Lake left a solid layer of salt behind, forming the present-day Bonneville Salt Flats.īonneville Salt Flats is an extensive salt pan that is located in the arid regions of Western United States.

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