What is Lake Salt?

Freshwater never consists solely of water but contains, dissolved within it, other substances from the atmosphere or the soil. Lakes which are fed by water flowing over soils and rocks that contain many easily dissolved minerals can become quite salty.

Where the lake is fed by streams and rivers but there is no outlet, evaporation may exceed the water flowing in and the minerals become trapped and concentrated. If the minerals are predominantly chlorides, mainly sodium chloride (common salt) and magnesium chloride, salt lakes are formed with the water being distinctly briny. Lakes containing more than 5 grams of minerals per litre of water are considered to be salt lakes. Seawater contains 35 grams per litre, but some salt lakes contain minerals at concentrations many times that of sea water. Where the minerals are predominantly carbonates and bicarbonates, particularly in volcanic areas, the water becomes alkaline and soapy, forming soda lakes.