Mineral Lakes Around the World

(also referred to as Soda or Saline Lakes)

Saline lakes, also known as salt lakes, are landlocked bodies of water with a concentration of dissolved minerals several times higher than in freshwater lakes, sometimes even higher than in the ocean. The largest in the world is the Caspian Sea, but other well-known saline lakes include the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake. Two dozen of the world’s most important saline lakes are shown in Figure 1. The larger blue dots indicate those that formerly had a surface area larger than 250 square kilometers (larger than a circular lake about 18 miles across). Source: Nature Geoscience

A soda lake or alkaline lake is a lake on the strongly alkaline side of neutrality, typically with a pH value between 9 and 12. They are characterized by high concentrations of carbonate salts, typically sodium carbonate (and related salt complexes), giving rise to their alkalinity. In addition, many soda lakes also contain high concentrations of sodium chloride and other dissolved salts, making them saline or hypersaline lakes as well. High pH and salinity often coincide, because of how soda lakes develop. The resulting hypersaline and highly alkalic soda lakes are considered some of the most extreme aquatic environments on Earth. (wikipedia)

While the unusual chemical properties and extreme alkalinity of the world's soda lakes may appear inhospitable for life, soda lakes are in fact among the most productive ecosystems in the world.

 Unlike the ocean, where the availability of dissolved organic carbon can limit productivity, these lakes have a virtually unlimited supply of carbon to fuel photosynthesizing organisms.

Looking at this list of lakes around the world, Soap Lake shares:

• tribes held these sites sacred and were to be shared by all peoples for sacred and medicinal use

• one of a handful of unique lakes that have been studied to see about life on Mars

• in danger from human activity / government management

• unique bacteria and other organisms - tufa in Soap Lake

  Unlike many of the lakes listed below,

  Soap Lake, has a superabundance of dissolved minerals

  often compared to Baden-Baden in Germany.

  Let us know about other soda/saline or mineral lakes.

  We want to be part of the world wide effort to protect these ecosystems.

  SoapLakeConservancy@gmail.com

In alphabetical order (a developing list - sourced from the internet - for education and sharing purposes):

• Ab-i Istada آب ایستاده aka Ab-e Istada Lake (Nawa District, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.), which translates as “standing water.” This endorheic (meaning little or none of he surface drainages reaches the sea.) salt lake lies within a large depression in the southern foothills of the Hindu Kush that was formed by the Chaman Fault System.

  The Ab-i Istada National Waterfowl and Flamingo Sanctuary is visited by more than 120 migratory species, including vast flocks of greater flamingos and Siberian cranes.

  With a surface area of around 130 square kilometers, Ab-i Istada is relatively shallow, at around 3.7 meters (around 12 feet) deep.

  Outside of visits from nomads from Kandahar who pass through the region each summer, the area has remained unpopulated until relatively recently. At the start of the 21st century, the Tarakai tribe began settling near the lake, establishing eight villages within a 10-kilometer region housing a total population of approximately 5,000.

  Key Biodiversity Areas website has more info about the ecosystem assessed in 1994.

• Alkali Lake (Lake County, Oregon) This soda lake is known for its crystals; it accumulates centimeter-sized crystals made of calcium formate. Alkali Lake is dry for most of the year, aiding in crystal formation.

  In the late 1960s and early 1970s, herbicide manufacturing waste was disposed of just west of Alkali Lake. The drums containing the waste were later buried in trenches in the area, allowing some waste to leach through the soils into the area's shallow groundwaters, including the waters of Alkali Lake. The area is still thought to pose hazards for various animals. Remediation efforts at Alkali Lake continue today.

• The Aral Sea (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) was an endorheic lake. Meaning little or none of the surface drainages reaches the sea. An extreme examples of large lakes destroyed by unsustainable diversions of river water concentrating minerals and destroying the ecosystem.

• Baden Baden (Germany), baden means bath and to differentiate from other baths they doubled the name. Thermal spring with minerals: sodium, chloride, fluoride, lithium, silicic acid, and boron.

  At the foot of the Florentine Hill, below the former Grand Ducal castle, Baden-Baden mineral waters rise to the surface in twelve hot thermal springs, all rich in sodium chloride. Artesian pressure lets the water rise to the surface from a depth of 3,900-5,900 feet (1200 – 1800 m) with temperatures between 132 F to 166F (56°C and 68.8°C), some of the hottest springs in the whole of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Approximately 800,000 litres of thermal water rise to the surface each day.

  These waters are indicated for cardiac, vascular and circulatory diseases, locomotor and posture disorders, rheumatic ailments, gynaecological disorders, diseases of the nervous system, psychosomatic states of exhaustion and general weak conditions, Treatments are focused on preventive medicine and rehabilitation therapies: anti-pain, anti-stress, anti-aging, day spas, reflexology, fango, fitness and activity. There is also a special line of bio-cosmetics beauty products.

• Big Soda Lake and Little Soda Lake (Nevada) are a pair of soda lakes located within two volcanic craters. Today, there are two geothermal energy power plants along the lakes. These power plants use the hot water located just below the lakes to produce steam which can be converted into electricity.

  Nevada's Big Soda Lake has also been investigated for its similarities to Mars. Mars is known to have high concentrations of perchlorate, which is toxic to most life. To better understand the potential for life to exist on Mars, scientists have identified a number of microbes in Big Soda Lake capable of living within toxic concentrations of perchlorate. Scientific investigations like those at Big Soda Lake support the hypothesis that life could exist on Mars.

• The Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, and Palestine)(Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan)The waters and mud have high salt and mineral content and to add the local air is rich in oxygen and contains a high concentration of bromide. *P

• Don Juan Pond (Wright Valley, Victoria Land, east Antarctica,) It is considered the saltiest lake in Antarctica and the 2nd saltiest water body in the world after Gaet’ale Pond. It has a saline level of about 33% and is dominated by calcium chloride. The lake never freezes even with temperatures below -50 0C.

  Don Juan Pond has sent scientists, particularly astrobiologists, abuzz since it was discovered in 1961. Researchers use the martian-like landscape to study what may perhaps be humanity’s next frontier: Mars.

• Gaet’ale Pond (Dallol Spring, Ethiopia) The Gaet’ale Pond is part of a series of small ponds situated near the Dallol Spring in Ethiopia. It is located over a hot spring and has neither inlet nor outlet stream. The pond is the saltiest water body in the world with a salinity of 43%. Its water is composed of magnesium chloride at 1.43 mol/kg and calcium chloride at 2.72 mol/kg. Other elements contained in the water include sodium, potassium, and nitrate ion.

• Garabogazköl (Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan) Covering an area of approximately 6,900 square miles, the shallow lagoon is separated from the Caspian Sea by a narrow, rocky ridge which allows the water from the sea to flow into the lagoon. The Garabogazkol has a saline level of about 35%, almost 30 times that of the Caspian Sea. Because of the high salinity level, the lagoon has no vegetation.

• Hamelin Pool (Western Australia) The Hamelin Pool stromatolites are the oldest and largest living fossils on earth. Stromatolites are considered 'living fossils', part of the Earth's evolutionary history. A place of great scientific interest to botanists and geologists as it gives an indication of what the earth may have looked like about 3.5 billion years ago when stromatolites grew widespread across the water.

  Stromatolites (/stroʊˈmætəˌlaɪts, strə-/) are layered sedimentary formations (microbialite) that are created mainly by photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and Pseudomonadota (formerly proteobacteria). These microorganisms produce adhesive compounds that cement sand and other rocky materials to form mineral "microbial mats". In turn, these mats build up layer by layer, growing gradually over time. A stromatolite may grow to a meter or more. Although they are rare today, fossilized stromatolites provide records of ancient life on Earth. (source: Wikipedia)

• Lake Abert (Great Basin, Oregon, United States) Covering an area of 105 square miles, Lake Abert is the sixth largest lake in Oregon. It is as shallow as it is broad, just 5 feet deep on average. It is the only saline lake in Oregon, and one of just six saline lakes in the U.S.

• A crucial pitstop for the migratory birds that traverse the Pacific Flyway and replenish their energy by feasting on alkali flies and brine shrimp that are adapted to live in this saline environment. With huge flocks of shorebirds, waterbirds and waterfowl all congregating here at once, it can be a pretty raucous place during the spring and fall migration. 

• Lake Baskunchak (Astrakhan Oblast, which is a federal subject in the southern part of the Russian Federation) Having a surface area of about 115 square km (44 square mi), the lake is located 21 meters (69 feet) below the sea level, however, it is fed by a river that draws water from an area of 11,000 square km (4,200 square mi).

  There are plenty of visitors every summer that are going to this magnificent gem for which they believe it has impressive healing powers, where with the wind, heat, salt and mud, it is the perfect place to regain a strength. As the lake is located on the very important and historic Silk Road, there is even a Buddhist legend that speaks about these healing powers.

• Lake Natron (Tanzania) is a soda lake famous for its hostile environment. The lake's waters can reach a pH of over 11, making Lake Natron's water more than 100 times more alkaline than baking soda—enough to burn our skin. Despite the apparently harsh environment Lake Natron provides, this soda lake is the sole breeding site for East Africa's Lesser Flamingos.

• Lake Magadi (Kenya) It receives an abundance of dissolved salts from nearby alkaline hot springs, making it one of the world's most extreme soda lakes. Despite its super salty, alkaline water chemistry, Lake Magadi is home to a diversity of microbial life. Lake Magadi, as well many other soda lakes around the world, is also mined for its "soda ash"—the commercial name for sodium carbonate. Soda ash is then processed to form various household chemicals including baking soda.

• Lake Nakuru (Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya) The lake once attracted an abundance of flamingos that feasted on Lake Nakuru's algae, but a rapid rise in the lake's water level in 2013 caused the lake's flamingos to migrate to other nearby soda lakes in search of food. Together, the high productivity of Lake Nakuru and other soda lakes can support millions of Kenya's flamingos.

• Lake Retba (is located approximately 18 miles from Dakar, the capital of Senegal) The lake is popular for its pink water and the high salt content which is about 40% in some areas. Lake Retba is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow dune. The lake’s salinity is as a result of the ingress of seawater and subsequent evaporation. The salt in the lake is mined by the over 3,000 miners from West Africa and used to preserve fish.

• Lake Shala (or Shalla) (Abijatta-Shalla National Park, Ethiopia) The Lake receives water from two rivers: the Dededba and the Jiddo. With a maximum depth of over 800 feet, Lake Shala is Ethiopia's deepest lake.

  Unlike the many other lakes located along the Ethiopian Rift, Lake Shala is a blue-black color due to its abundant population of spirulina, a type of blue-green algae. There are nine islands within Lake Shala that are used by a number of bird species including pelicans and cormorants.

• Lake Vanda (Wright Valley, Antarctica) It is approximately 5 kilometers long and 760 meters deep. This hypersaline lake has a saline level of about 35%, more than that of the Dead Sea. It is also considered a meromictic lake, meaning that it shallower waters do not mix with the water at the bottom. Lake Vanda has three distinct layers of water; the bottom, middle, and upper layers. The lake is fed by the Onyx River, Antarctic’s longest river.

• Lake Zabuye (Gangdisi Mountains, Tibet) In the 1980s, lithium was discovered in Lake Zabuye's. fine sediments. Commercial lithium extraction operations began at Lake Zabuye in 1999 and continue today.

• Little Manitou Lake (Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan) Believing the lake to be a gift from the Great Spirit, medicine men called it “Manitou” or “Lake of Good Spirit.” Indigenous tribes came from as far east as the Great Lakes and as far west as the Rocky Mountains to heal themselves in the legendary waters. The lake was considered so sacred, feuding tribes would lay down their weapons at the water’s edge.

  The mineral-rich content makes the water appear a metallic bronze, and the water has long been said to have curative properties. Locals and visitors have claimed they’ve cured skin conditions, arthritis, and joint pain. The iodine content of the water is claimed to help with thyroid conditions. Natural oils, mineral salts, and mud is harvested from the lake and made into salves, lotions, and masks to sell in store across Canada.

• Lonar Lake (India) Located within a meteorite impact site in India. Among all soda lakes, Lonar has a particularly unique array of microbial life; for this reason, the lake is under assessment for its potential to host microorganisms capable of producing molecules important for modern biotechnology.

• Ma’lokyattsik’i - Salt Mother - aka Zuni Salt Lake - aka (Navajo: Áshįįh) (New Mexico, United State) For centuries, the Pueblo people of the Southwest, including the Zuni, Acoma, Laguna, Hopi and Taos pueblos, have made annual pilgrimages to Zuñi Salt Lake to harvest salt, for both culinary and ceremonial purposes. Ancient roadways radiate out from the lake to the various pueblos and ancient pueblo sites, such as Chaco. The lake itself is considered sacred, home of the Salt Mother deity, known to the Zuñi as Ma'l Okyattsik'i.

  Famous Indian chief Geronimo, in Geronimo's Story of His Life reported the following about the lake: "We obtained our salt from a little lake in the Gila Mountains.... When visiting this lake our people were not allowed to even kill game or attack an enemy. All creatures were free to go and come without molestation."

  The Zuni Salt Lake was not part of the Zuñi reservation originally recognized by the U.S. government, but the U.S. returned the lake itself, and 5,000 acres (20 km²) surrounding it, to Zuni control in 1985. (source here)

  “From 1994 to 2003, there was a proposal to develop a coal mine near the Zuñi Salt Lake.[8][11] It would have involved extraction of water from the aquifer below the lake as well as construction between the lake and the Pueblo of Zuñi.[12][13] The proposal was withdrawn after several lawsuits, and is regarded as an important exercise of native rights in the United States.” wikipedia

• Mono Lake (California, United States) Located at the edge of the arid Great Basin and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and supports a unique and highly productive ecosystem.

  Studying the extremophiles in the high saline conditions of Mono Lake may be helpful in our exploration and understanding of past life on Mars or current life in the ocean depths on Jupiter's moon Europa. Astronomers believe that Europa's hidden ocean water has a high mineral content.

  Mono Lake has no fish, but is teeming with trillions of brine shrimp and alkali flies, which sustain millions of migratory birds that visit the lake each year. Freshwater streams feed Mono Lake, supporting lush riparian forests of cottonwood and willow along their banks.

  Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America, and may be more than 760,000 years old. Lake deposits cover volcanic deposits of that age, and more lake deposits may be present below the volcanic layers. Over time, the size of the lake has fluctuated greatly in this high desert environment.

  The high concentrations of carbonates make Mono Lake quite alkaline. Because of this, it tastes bitter and feels slippery. Some of the carbonates are deposited in the tufa towers that presently are forming on the lake floor. The alkali flies that inhabit the lake environments actually deposit calcium as a waste product! In addition, occasional volcanic eruptions and the resultant ash have added considerably to the chemical mix;

• Owens Lake (California, United States) Owens (dry) Lake was a perennial lake at the terminus of the Owens River throughout historic time; the lake held water continuously, and at times overflowed to the south, for at least the last 800,000 years (Smith et al., 1997). During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the lake fluctuated between about 7-15 m deep and had an area of about 280 km2, depending on drought conditions and irrigation diversions; the irrigation withdrawals were large enough to desiccate the lake eventually (St. Amand et al., 1986). Steamboats hauled ore across the lake from mines in the Inyo Range . Water was first diverted from the Owens River to the City of Los Angeles in 1913, and by 1926 Owens Lake was dry.

• Lake Sambhar (India's) In recent years, Lake Sambhar has been actively studied for its potential to house microbes with characteristics that could aid in the treatment of cancer. The lake's fascinating assemblage of microorganisms may also contain microbes that could help promote plant growth in areas where salt concentrations are high.

• Salton Sea (California, United States) The Salton Sea is a strange, lesser-known saline lake located along the San Andreas Fault, close to coveted destinations such as Palm Springs and Joshua Tree. As the state’s predominantly largest body of water, the endorheic rift lake is critical to wildlife habitat, especially migratory birds. But the mesmerizing Salton Sea has been transformed from a beloved desert oasis into an unfruitful wasteland with questionable waters. So, what's really going on here? And where did it all go wrong?

  The Salton Sea is situated at one of the lowest points in the country—its surface is over 200 feet below sea level—so its water does not flow out through a river or stream; all of this is due to the tectonic tension within faults that are pushing in opposite directions, thus forming a sunken basin. 

  In 1905, the Salton Sea was accidentally created when water from the Colorado River spilled out of an ill-constructed California Development Company irrigation system. Over the duration of several years, the lake expanded until people put a stop to the flow. By that time, a 400-square-mile body of water formed on the basin in SoCal, creating the Salton Sink.

• Searles Lake (Death Valley National Park, California) Over 10,000 years ago, Searles Lake was part of a massive drainage network that is now largely dry. Today, Searles Lake is mined for its rare minerals, including borax and sodium sulfate.

• SALARS OF THE ANDES (Argentina, Bolivia and Chile)

  There are more than 50 major dry to seasonally wet salt lakes, or salars, in the Andes that begin to the south of Lake Titicaca where the rainfall significantly drops off. These are nested in large depressions within the internally drained Altiplano and within smaller inter-volcanic depressions.

  Many of the salars make for a network that has been combined by tourists into what has been termed the Gringo Trail. This well-trodden route goes from landing in Lima Peru, a flight to Cusco, the obligatory visit of Machu Picchu, travel south to Lake Titicaca and entering Bolivia at La Paz. The trip goes south to pay homage at Cerro Rico in Potosi, and then meanders through the world’s largest salt flat at Salar de Uyuni where silly forced perspective photography fills in the time. From the dusty frigid desperate town of Uyuni the route goes into the wilderness, coming through Laguna Verde and the stop over at the hot Spring Chilvari, and afterwards descends into Chile and the desert town of San Pedro de Atacama in the large Salar de Atacama. Many will catch a flight out from the nearby city of Calama to end the journey, while others will push onwards, driving south to pass the small but extremely scenic Salar de Aguas Calientes, cross the border at Paso Sico into Argentina, possibly taking a quick detour south to visit this country’s second largest Salar de Arizaro, and then connect through the small little-developed San Antonio de Cobres village and then finally ending at the city of Salta.

• Soap Lake (Grant County, Washington State, United States) Soap Lake is known to those who have gathered here for centuries as Lake Smokiam. This ecologically unique and culturally significant ecosystem perpetually attracts people from diverse cultures. Many people attribute medicinal value to this alkaline water as “healing water”, and visit to heal physical ailments and their spirits. The water, oil, and mud are purported to heal physical ailments and the spirit.

  One of the highest salt and mineral concentrations, as well as diverse mineral profiles, of any lake in the world. Like the Dead Sea, the high mineral content of the lake makes the water very buoyant.

  The water also contains ichthyols, an oil-like substance sold over the counter in Europe to treat infections and abrasions. The ichthyol in Soap Lake water and mud is a sulfur-rich shale oil that was formed by the decomposition of copepods (and possibly other animal and plant material) thousands of years ago and is now part of the sediment at the bottom of the lake.

  The alkalinity of the lake is similar to that found on the moons of Jupiter. Because of this, in 2002 the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a grant to researchers from Central Washington University to study the lake to learn about the possibility of life on Mars. The NSF recognized the unique and remarkable salt and mineral profile of Soap Lake and declared it a rare Microbial Observatory for the 5 years it funded biological research. (edited from Wikipedia, 2021)

• Spotted Lake (Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada) s a saline endorheic alkali lake. The Lake has rich in minerals such as magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulfate and contains extremely high concentrations of minerals such as silver and titanium.

• The Great Salt Lake (Utah, United States) - Will the Great Salt Lake become the Great Salt Puddle?

  Persistent drought and water diverted for agriculture use and the area's growing population are threatening Utah's treasure

• Walker Lake (Nevada, United States) Walker Lake is a terminal lake (lake with no outlet) that is fed by the Walker River with its headwaters in the Sierra Nevada (California). It is a remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan that once covered most of the Great Basin. Since the early 1950’s, the Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) fishery was maintained only through stocking. Fresh water has a total dissolved solid (TDS) of less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L), while TDS in Walker Lake now exceeds 21,000 mg/L. LCT no longer occurs in Walker Lake due to this extremely high TDS (alkalinity and salt) and even tui chub, the primary forage of LCT in Walker Lake, are unable to survive.

  Mineral County and the Walker River Paiute Tribe have both brought litigation to protect Walker Lake and flows to the lower Walker River. These efforts have resulted in the establishment of the public trust doctrine in Nevada, though the lawsuit has yet to improve flows to the lake. (source: wikipedia for this paragraph)

*P - treatment for psoriasis Sources: 12 PSORIASIS TREATMENT CENTERS WORLDWIDE, Say Goodbye to Saline Lakes

MAJOR SALINE LAKES ACROSS THE WORLD. SOURCE: WURTSBAUGH ET AL, 2017