The Great Salt Lake, bordered by several major population centers in the State of Utah, has received heavy loading of various pollutants that until recently have received little attention. However, during the last decade management agencies and environmental groups have become concerned that these contaminants might limit the beneficial uses of the lake. Recent work by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, universities, and federal agencies have focused on how selenium, mercury, eutrophication and salinity may influence recreational use of the lake and the migratory bird populations that rely on the lake for feeding and nesting.