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January 20, 2026 - Low Water Level on the Great Salt Lake
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Water levels in the Great Salt Lake were hovering near record lows on January 15, 2026, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the iconic lake.
The Great Salt Lake, located in the state of Utah, is the largest saline lake in the United States and is considered the eighth largest in the world by area. It provides the foundation of extensive brine shrimp and salt harvesting industries, magnesium mining, and recreational activities. It also provides critical habitat to support millions of migratory birds that pass through the lake twice a year.
Because the lake is extremely shallow, with an average depth of only 14 feet (4.3 meters), the water level can shift dramatically depending on precipitation (rain and snowpack) in the surrounding area. In dry years, the water level dives precipitously; in contrast, when the nearby mountains acquired thick snowpack in winter, the spring melt can raise water levels as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters). The most recent trend, however, is warmer temperatures and lower precipitation in the American West, triggering the water levels in the Great Salt Lake to trend lower.
On January 19, The Great Salt Lake Tracker, which compiles data from the USGS monitoring stations at the Saltair Boat Harbor and at Saline, Utah, reported that the water level was 6.6 feet (2 meters) below “Minimum Healthy Water Level”. Minimum Healthy Water Level has been define as 4,198 feet (1,279.5 meters). The exposed lakebed measured 1,165.5 square miles (3,019 square kilometers), with 54.2 percent of the lakebed exposed.
In addition, on that same date, the elevation at the South Arm Causeway gauge was 4,191.7 feet (1,277.6 meters) and the elevation at the North Arm was 4,191.0 feet (1,277.4 meters). The elevation at the South Arm gauge was only 4.2 feet (1.3 meters) above the lowest elevation in recorded history. That record-low elevation was reached in November 2022, when it dropped to 4,188.5 feet (1,277 meters) as measured at the South Arm Causeway gauge location, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/15/2026
Resolutions:
1km (125.7 KB), 500m (330.6 KB), 250m (403.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Water levels in the Great Salt Lake were hovering near record lows on January 15, 2026, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the iconic lake.
The Great Salt Lake, located in the state of Utah, is the largest saline lake in the United States and is considered the eighth largest in the world by area. It provides the foundation of extensive brine shrimp and salt harvesting industries, magnesium mining, and recreational activities. It also provides critical habitat to support millions of migratory birds that pass through the lake twice a year.
Because the lake is extremely shallow, with an average depth of only 14 feet (4.3 meters), the water level can shift dramatically depending on precipitation (rain and snowpack) in the surrounding area. In dry years, the water level dives precipitously; in contrast, when the nearby mountains acquired thick snowpack in winter, the spring melt can raise water levels as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters). The most recent trend, however, is warmer temperatures and lower precipitation in the American West, triggering the water levels in the Great Salt Lake to trend lower.
On January 19, The Great Salt Lake Tracker, which compiles data from the USGS monitoring stations at the Saltair Boat Harbor and at Saline, Utah, reported that the water level was 6.6 feet (2 meters) below “Minimum Healthy Water Level”. Minimum Healthy Water Level has been define as 4,198 feet (1,279.5 meters). The exposed lakebed measured 1,165.5 square miles (3,019 square kilometers), with 54.2 percent of the lakebed exposed.
In addition, on that same date, the elevation at the South Arm Causeway gauge was 4,191.7 feet (1,277.6 meters) and the elevation at the North Arm was 4,191.0 feet (1,277.4 meters). The elevation at the South Arm gauge was only 4.2 feet (1.3 meters) above the lowest elevation in recorded history. That record-low elevation was reached in November 2022, when it dropped to 4,188.5 feet (1,277 meters) as measured at the South Arm Causeway gauge location, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/15/2026
Resolutions:
1km (125.7 KB), 500m (330.6 KB), 250m (403.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
