<P> The lake lies in parts of five counties: Box Elder, Davis, Tooele, Weber, and Salt Lake . Salt Lake City and its suburbs are located to the south - east and east of the lake, between the lake and the Wasatch Mountains, but land around the north and west shores are almost uninhabited . The Bonneville Salt Flats are to the west, and the Oquirrh and Stansbury Mountains rise to the south . </P> <P> The Great Salt Lake is fed by three major rivers and several minor streams . The three major rivers are each fed directly or indirectly from the Uinta Mountain range in northeastern Utah . The Bear River starts on the north slope of the Uintas and flows north past Bear Lake, into which some of Bear River's waters have been diverted via a man - made canal into the lake, but later empty back into the river by means of the Bear Lake Outlet . The river then turns south in southern Idaho and eventually flows into the northeast arm of the Great Salt Lake . The Weber River also starts on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains and flows into the east edge of the lake . The Jordan River does not receive its water directly from the Uintas, rather it flows from freshwater Utah Lake, which itself is fed primarily by the Provo River; the Provo River does originate in the Uintas, a few miles from the Weber and Bear . The Jordan flows from the north part of Utah Lake into the south - east corner of the Great Salt Lake . </P> <P> Due to its shallowness, the water level can fall dramatically in dry years and rise during high - precipitation years, thereby reflecting prolonged drought or wet periods . The change in the level of lake level is strongly modulated by the Pacific Ocean through atmospheric circulations that fluctuate at low frequency . By capturing these climate oscillations while using tree - ring reconstruction of lake level, the lake level fluctuation could be predicted onward for 5--8 years . The Utah Climate Center provides prediction of the Great Salt Lake's annual lake level . This forecast uses central tropical Pacific Ocean temperature, watershed precipitation, tree - ring data of 750 + years, and the lake level itself . </P> <P> A railroad line--the Lucin Cutoff--runs across the lake, crossing the southern end of Promontory Peninsula . The mostly solid causeway supporting the railway divides the lake into three portions: the north - east arm, north - west arm, and southern . The causeway obstructed the normal mixing of the waters of the lake because there were only three 100 - foot (30 m) breaches . Because no rivers, except a few minor streams, flow directly into the north - west arm, Gunnison Bay, is substantially saltier than the rest of the lake . This saltier environment promotes different types of algae than those growing in the southern part of the lake, leading to a marked color difference on the two sides of the causeway . On December 1, 2016, the opening of new 180 - foot - long (55 m) bridge allowed water to flow from the southern arm of the lake into north - west arm . At the time of opening of causeway the north - west arm was nearly 3 feet (90 cm) lower than the southern arm . By April 2017, the levels of both arms of the lake had risen due to spring runoff, and the north - western arm was within 1 foot (30 cm) of the southern arm . </P>

What is the salt from great salt lake used for