The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around 1,700 square miles, but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. In terms of surface area, it is the largest lake in the United States that is not part of the Great Lakes region.

The lake is the largest remnant of Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric pluvial lake that once covered much of western Utah. As it is endorheic (has no outlet besides evaporation), it has very high salinity, far saltier than sea water, and its mineral content is constantly increasing. 

Charles River Esplenade in Boston

Icy cold rocks in the frigid Merced River of Yosemite,