Talk:Stansbury Island

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Islands

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Is this truly an island?[edit]

The article's lead states "it is considered an island even though a dirt causeway connects it to the mainland." The source given is a 615-page text from 1852, so it's hard to really ascertain where this single claim comes from within the text. On the other hand, the Stansbury Island Trail map states in the footnote that it is "more peninsula than island." Finally, considering the generally accepted definition of "island" is a piece of land surrounded completely by water, I question why Stansbury Island seems to be granted an exemption from this definition. Some expansion on this within the article would be helpful. 2601:441:8700:3141:9148:5BAB:634C:F1A9 (talk) 03:10, 4 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

The issue has to due with the surface area of the Great Salt Lake, which has varied wildly over the years. Because the lake sits on a very flat playa, a change of a few feet in lake level (due to increased inflow, decreased evaporation, etc.) can result in a huge increase in surface area.^[1] Historically the lake was higher than it is today, so Stansbury Island was likely a true island, or much closer to a true island, than when it was so named.^[2] From reference 2:

Categorically stating the number of islands is difficult, as the method used to determine what is an island is not necessarily the same in each source. Since the water level of the lake can vary greatly between years, what may be considered an island in a high water year may be considered a peninsula in another, or an island in a low water year may be covered during another year. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey, "there are eight named islands in the lake that have never been totally submerged during historic time. All have been connected to the mainland by exposed shoals during periods of low water." In addition to these eight islands, the lake also contains a number of rocks, reefs, or shoals that become fully or partially submerged at high water levels.[19]
The Utah Geological Survey, on the other hand, states "the lake contains 11 recognized islands, although this number varies depending on the level of the lake. Seven islands are in the southern portion of the lake and four in the northwestern portion."[20]
The size and whether they are counted as islands during any particular year depends mostly on the level of the lake.

VQuick (talk) 03:30, 4 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

References

[1] ttps://ut.water.usgs.gov/greatsaltlake/elevations/

[2] ttps://www.wikiwand.com/en/Great_Salt_Lake#/Islands

[1]

[2]