Chapters 1-7 Summary and Analysis

Chapter one, "Burrowing Owls—lake level: 4204.70'' begins with the author discussing the location of several landmarks including the University of Utah, the Mormon Tabernacle, Emigration Canyon, and the Salt Lake City International Airport. The trip to the Great Salt Lake from the author's home takes about 25 minutes. Williams discusses an experiment she performed in school in which the surface area of a body of water was measured. While some lakes are similar to cups of water the Great Salt Lake, with an average depth of 13 feet, is more like a dinner plate since the water is spread out over a distance. Additionally the students were required to test the salinity of the water and allow the water to evaporate leaving behind salt crystals.

Williams refers to the Great Salt Lake as a "terminal lake" because it has...