Salt Lake City, Utah-A thick layer of tar has grown on the bed of the Great Salt Lake, and experts blame it on the declining water levels there. Not only has it become a trap for wildlife, but it also heralds bigger problems that Utah may face in the next few years. 

Experts say that the salt content is so low that one can walk to the crimson, salty banks of the Great Salt Lake.

It also leaves enough room for the diffusion of viscous tar.

Jamie Butler of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College said: "Because it is such a shallow basin, when the lake level rises a little bit, it will begin to flood these low-lying areas, such as Rozelle tar seepage. ."

Butler said this hasn't happened since 2014.

Normally, every few years, the Great Salt Lake will rise to cover the tar, allowing these areas to start again.

On the contrary, in the area east of the Spiral Wharf, tar continues to grow.

"We can see this tar coming out of the small cracks and cracks in the lake bed, spreading like fly paper on the lake bed," Butler said.

Many birds can be found in tar. Butler said they are usually adolescent pelicans from Gunnison Island, flying for the first time.

The area has become a frequent location for undergraduate research. 

"Every time we go out, we discover new things, not just new animals trapped, but we start to think about if we can cultivate microorganisms that live in tar and can degrade oil," Butler said. 

Although this type of data is valuable, Butler said that shrinking lakes are a big problem, and the growing number of traps for wildlife is one of the least worried about.  

"There are many problems with the shrinking of the Great Salt Lake," she said. "There is a dust problem. The dust on the exposed lake bed will be blown away, which will damage our snow and our health."

Butler said that, coupled with the increase in salt content and the potential economic impact on industries around the lake, these are signs that Utahans need to conserve water.