Lake chemistry — How much mercury and other chemicals is too much?

FARMINGTON BAY — There's been a lot of talk lately about what's in the water.

People are concerned about mercury levels recently found in the Great Salt Lake and in the population of ducks that live there. Others worry about the amount of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, elements necessary for organisms to live but which in higher quantities can cause serious environmental problems.

While not everyone agrees on the severity of the water problem or what should be done about it, they understand that what happens to the water in the Great Salt Lake affects everyone, said Leland Myers, district manager for the Central Davis Sewer District.

Although much of the attention for the water quality issue has focused on mercury, Myers said there are other pollutants in the lake that could cause as much concern for the public.

"Mercury is a concern, but it's not the only real concern," he said.

Human interference in the ecology of the local environment has affected the lake in ways researchers are now trying to understand. The Central Davis Sewer District, along with Wayne Wurtsbaugh, a professor of limnology (or the study of inland waters) from Utah State University, is in the process of conducting $1 million worth of research to study the impact of water discharged from wastewater treatment plants and other sources of nutrients in the lake.

There is always something in the water when it reaches the lake, Myers said. In addition to the nutrients water naturally picks up on its way to the lake, three sewage treatment plants in Davis County and several in Salt Lake City release treated water into the Farmington Bay area. Through the research they are now conducting, Myers and Wurtsbaugh want to find out if the chemicals in the lake are causing problems for the local ecosystem.

"We need good solutions based on good science," Myers said.

Driving out to Farmington Bay in mid-October, Myers talked about the many contrasting views people have of the Great Salt Lake.

"The Great Salt Lake is like having an elderly grandparent," he said. "Everyone feels like they're related to it . . . and they see the grandparent they want to see."

One family member might visit a grandparent after a long absence and think the relative is in perfect health. Another might see the same grandparent and think the person on a deathbed. Likewise, some residents think the lake is fine while others worry it's in bad shape.

"You have some really divergent attitudes about what's going on," he said.