Great Salt Lake managers raise causeway berm in effort to stave off rising salinity

High concentrations of salty water are already taking a toll on the lake’s brine shrimp, which could have ripple effects on migrating birds and local industry.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune The Lucine Cutoff shown on on August 27, 2002. The cutoff officially opened to rail traffic on Nov. 26, 1903. It was built to replace the original Union Pacific-Central Pacific tracks completed through Promontory in 1869. It shortened the journey from Lucine to Ogden by more than 40 miles and shaved hours off the railroad's schedule. The causeway across the northern end of the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County still carries 20 freight trains a day.

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Leia LarsenWater and land use reporter

Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.