Fun Fact: Gulf State Park's Lake Shelby is one of the closest freshwater lakes to a body of saltwater in the world. Salt water occasionally finds it way into the lake, making it home to both freshwater and saltwater fish.
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This is primarily because rivers continuously receive fresh water from rainfall and melted snow, diluting the salt content. Most lakes are also not salty for similar reasons. They receive freshwater from rivers and precipitation, which dilutes any salts. However, there are exceptions.
Great Salt Lake, lake in northern Utah, U.S., the largest inland body of salt water in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most saline inland bodies of water in the world. The lake is fed by the Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers and has no outlet.
The most saline water body in the world is the Gaet'ale Pond, located in the Danakil Depression in Afar, Ethiopia. The water of Gaet'ale Pond has a salinity of 43%, making it the saltiest water body on Earth (i.e. 12 times as salty as ocean water).
Typically, the large volume of fresh water flowing down the Mississippi River toward the Gulf of Mexico has enough force to push out the salt water, but recent drought conditions have brought the Mississippi's water levels down, weakening its flow and allowing salt water from the Gulf to encroach.
The river was used for irrigation by the pre-Columbian Hohokam culture, by later Native Americans, and by early Euro-American settlers in the 19th century. It currently provides a major source of irrigation and drinking water for Phoenix and surrounding communities through the Salt River Project.