The Divide

A berm splits Stansbury Bay on the Great Salt Lake, Utah: pink brine on one side, pale water on the other. Salinity differs on each side. On the left, microorganisms that thrive in extreme salinity turn the water pink. 30 August 2025.

Two weeks before this photograph was made, the State of Utah issued a cease and desist letter to the company operating the ponds. Within weeks the company filed for bankruptcy, and in January 2026 the state acquired its water rights to keep that water in the lake. A return flight in August 2026 found the basins nearly dry.