The Great Salt Lake: A Troubled Source for Mineral Extraction

Yep. It's Gross.

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) has long been a site of mineral extraction, particularly for magnesium, lithium, and salt. However, mounting evidence reveals that the lake’s declining water levels and contamination with heavy metals—especially mercury—make it an environmentally and socially hazardous location for industrial activity especially making products for human consumption. 

We at Amphora use an ancient sea bed that's underground. This source has been protected for millions of years and has none of the issues of The Great Salt Lake. We also use zero evaporation ponds that are exposed to pollutants nor run-off from agriculture, waste or environmental spills. We're a water company that knows what's best, not some company using a source that's unclean with more issues than we can list. Let's dive into the article!

The Toxic Reality of Mineral Extraction from the Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) has been exploited for decades as a source of minerals like magnesium, lithium, and sodium chloride. However, mounting scientific evidence and regulatory battles reveal an uncomfortable truth: this shrinking, polluted body of water is an environmental and public health disaster—one that makes it an irresponsible source for products meant for human consumption.

A Terminal Lake with Terminal Problems

As a terminal lake with no outlet, the GSL acts as a catch basin for contaminants from its 3,800-square-mile watershed. Industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and urban wastewater have loaded its sediments with toxic heavy metals, including:

• Arsenic (linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease)

• Cadmium (a carcinogen that damages kidneys and bones)

• Lead (neurotoxic, especially harmful to children)

• Mercury (converts to methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin)

In 2010, researchers recorded methylmercury levels in the lake’s deep brine layer among the highest ever measured in the U.S.. This neurotoxin bioaccumulates in wildlife, leading to advisories against consuming ducks from the lake due to contamination risks.

The Vanishing Lake and Its Toxic Dust Storms

Since 1986, the GSL has lost 22 feet of water depth, exposing over 1,900 square kilometers of lakebed. This desiccated sediment is now a major source of toxic dust storms, carrying:

• Arsenic-laden particles (exceeding EPA safety thresholds)

• Reactive metals like copper and manganese (linked to lung inflammation)

• Persistent pollutants (cyanotoxins, organic contaminants)

Communities on Salt Lake City’s west side—historically marginalized and disproportionately low-income—bear the brunt of these dust storms. Recent studies show residents now endure 15+ dust storms annually, compared to zero just 15 years ago.

Industry’s Role in the Crisis

Major mineral extractors, including U.S. Magnesium (North America’s largest magnesium producer), have exacerbated the problem:

• Illegal hazardous waste dumping led to a Superfund site where cleanup involves evaporating lake water, leaving a toxic salt cap.

• State permits for dredging were recently denied due to environmental risks, yet lithium extraction from waste ponds continues.

While Utah’s HB453 (2024) imposed stricter water-use rules, critics argue it prioritizes industry profits over ecosystem survival, we agree. Profit over health is the exact reason we started Amphora... we're sick of it.

A Sustainable Alternative: Ancient, Protected Mineral Sources

Unlike the GSL—a polluted, declining resource—some companies, like Amphora, source minerals from a deep, and ancient seabed shielded from modern contamination.

These deposits:

• Contain no industrial or agricultural pollutants

• Require no evaporation ponds (which concentrate toxins)

• Avoid the public health risks of toxic dust and methylmercury

Our flagship product we have made that is actually clean? Amphora Concentrate

The Path Forward: Restoration Over Exploitation

The GSL’s collapse isn’t inevitable, but saving it demands:

1. Immediate water diversions to restore inflows.

2. Stricter pollution controls on industrial users.

3. Dust mitigation programs to protect vulnerable communities.

Until then, relying on the GSL for consumable minerals is not just unsustainable—it’s a direct threat to public health.

Here are the listed companies that use The Great Salt Lake

Major Mineral Extraction Companies

1. Mineral Resources International, Inc. (MRI)

   • Extracts and supplies nutritional minerals from the lake since 1969, including magnesium, potassium, and trace elements for supplements14.

2. Great Salt Lake Minerals & Chemicals (GSLM&C)

   • One of the largest operators, historically focused on sodium chloride, potassium sulfate, and magnesium chloride5.

3. Morton Salt

   • Produces table salt and de-icing salt from the lake5.

4. Akzo Salt

   • Another major salt producer operating on the lake5.

5. American Salt

   • Engaged in salt extraction5.

Smaller-Scale/Niche Operators

6. Trace Minerals Research (TMR)

   • Extracts magnesium and other minerals for nutritional supplements (e.g., Utah Sea Minerals). The company uses solar evaporation ponds and recently upgraded its infrastructure to reduce water usage2 3 7 8.

7. Salt Lake Minerals Co., LLC (SLM)

   • Holds food-grade mineral extraction rights but has limited public operational details4.

Legislative Context

• Utah’s HB453 (2024) and HB446 (2025) imposed stricter regulations on mineral firms, requiring water conservation and rare-earth extraction oversight2 6. Companies like Compass Minerals (not listed above but previously active) have agreed to reduce water use6.

The lake’s mineral industry remains dominated by a handful of firms and we wish we could lead an expedition and test all of these companies practices. We like to be fully transparent about our sources and ingredients. This is why we have the NO BS Guarantee. 

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