The water level is at an almost record low level right now so there are lots of places where it can hardly be seen. Due to human consumption and mismanagement plus climate change, the lake is shrinking which causes all sorts of problems. One of the worst issues is how it contributes to air pollution which is already a very serious problem in Utah's population corridor running from Brigham City at the north down through Ogden, Layton, and Salt Lake City to Provo. This strip holds over 2 million people, more than two thirds of Utah's rapidly growing population which is expected to more than double to 6 million in the next 40 years.
Water is visible on either side of the causeway from the visitor center which is built on a hill. There was a period from 1982 to 1987 when the water level rose 20 feet and covered the causeway. It was closed for ten years which I'm guessing included both the time it was underwater and the time it took to repair the very considerable damage. The state bought the island for a state park in 1981. They must have wondered if they'd made a mistake after the causeway flooded.
I didn't realize when I posted this picture yesterday that the closest line of mountains is actually Antelope Island. We can't see either end of it from the campground where this picture was taken so it's not easy to figure out it's an island.
The Fielding Garr Ranch horse herd, looking across the lake to the Wasatch Range.
The island's Euro-American history dates back to 1848 when Fielding Garr was assigned by the Mormon Church the task of establishing a ranch on the island to manage the church tithing herds. When Garr died in 1855 the church continued to operate the ranch to support their Perpetual Emigration Fund which helped new converts move to Utah. It's been through various owners and operators but was run as a ranch continuously from 1848 to 1981 when Utah bought it.
The island has always been very isolated so whoever was here had to be self-sufficient. There was a natural sand bar at the south end of the island which was built into a dirt causeway in 1952. This was a big help to the ranch people because it's at the south end of the island much closer to the ranch. However, in 1983 the rising water level destroyed the causeway and it was never rebuilt so whoever works at the ranch has to drive about 22 miles just to get to the mainland side of the island.
Last month a wildfire was started by lightning and burned over half the island (15,000 acres) so there's a lot of brown everywhere. It's being plowed now in preparation for re-seeding. This is not an inexpensive proposition....$300,000 for seed and $200,000 for the equipment to plant it.
I know they look like ants in the picture but this is part of the island's bison herd with the bay, the Wasatch Range and (if you can see it) the populated strip between the lake and the mountains. The bison are thriving here after 12 of them were brought to the island in 1893 to start a herd. There are no natural predators (wolves) so the herd is kept at the optimal 600 head by auctioning anything over that. They hold a round-up every October to do an inventory plus a veterinary check of every animal with appropriate vaccinations. The herd is extremely well cared for.
There are also small herds of reintroduced pronghorn antelope (for which the island was named) and mule deer, both of which are native to the island. The small herd of big horn sheep (not native to the island) is doing very well but stays at the upper elevations on the west side of the island where there are trails but no roads so tourists rarely see them. We talked to a volunteer at the ranch who had been working there for 16 years and he said he'd seen only two in all that time. We did see a few of the pronghorns and mule deer along with hundreds of bison.
There were several artistic bison statues. This fellow was by far the most interesting.
We finished our tour of the island and got back to the campground just as the base rush hour was starting. We're having trouble with our new radio in the truck so decided we'd have to bite the bullet and go back to Best Buy, as much as we didn't want to. (Tried calling them first which just wasted half an hour.) Wasted another hour going up there only to be told we'd have to come back tomorrow because all the installers were gone.....which we could have found out by phone if I'd been able to actually talk to a person who knew anything. So, we'll be back off to Best Buy in the morning and will then drive 30 miles north to meet a distant cousin for lunch. Our fingers are crossed that everything works as it should.
Tonight's sunset from the campground.
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