Hat Island

Hat Island, in the past often referred to as Bird Island, is a very small island in the south arm of the Great Salt Lake, north of the larger Stansbury and Carrington Islands. The Western Shoshone called it Pa’u-hna. At current water levels, Hat Island is connected to the southwestern shore of the Lake by salt flats, and the intrepid person today can get there without getting their shoes wet. While communities of birds still do frequent the island, the communities of nesting migratory and resident birds described by previous generations have moved to true islands more secure against the intrusions of coyotes and other predators.

Click here for the full oral history with John Horel

Dr. Horel was born and raised in Eureka, California. He attended Humboldt State, received his bachelor’s degree from San Jose State, and a PhD in meteorology from the University of Washington. He worked as an assistant research professor at Scripps Institute of Oceanography before joining the faculty at the University of Utah. His research interests include weather and climate of the western United States, data assimilation, fire weather, Great Salt Lake studies, cold air pools, and periods of poor air quality in valleys and basins. In this interview, Dr. Horel talks about the combination of weather and atmospheric effects influenced by the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Mountains. He relates personal experiences he has had with the Lake. He also talks about his work with the National Weather Service and other entities during the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City.

Click here for the full oral history with Jim Van Leeuwen

Jim Van Leeuwen was born in Salt Lake grew up mostly at Dugway Proving Grounds, where his parents were civilian employees. After graduating from high school, he did landscaping and other jobs before injuring his back. Following his injury, he attended Weber State University, where he received a degree in zoology and criminal justice. Jim is an avid outdoorsman and loves wildlife. He works for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program. In this interview, Jim talks about his weekly boating expeditions at the GSL to check brine shrimp and other conditions. He shares his experiences getting caught in bad weather on the lake, and discusses the work he does when he’s not checking lake conditions at the lake. Jim describes the brine shrimp collection and monitoring process in detail, and finishes the interview with a brief discussion of Seabase, a scuba diving and lobster raising area near Grantsville.

Photograph of birds, mostly seagulls, some standing and others flying over dusty hillside of Bird Island (Hat Island) with arid-looking plants. Great Salt Lake, in background. Photo by George M. Ottinger, April 4th, 1905. From the George M. Ottinger Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photograph of a group of birds, likely American White Pelicans, standing together in a dirt path between rows of foliage on Bird Island (Hat Island). Wooden structure or house can be seen to one side of the birds. Photo by George M. Ottinger, April 4th, 1905. From the George M. Ottinger Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photograph of many birds, maybe pelicans, floating in water away from shoreline of Bird Island (Hat Island), covered with rocks and pieces of wood. Photo by George M. Ottinger, April 4th, 1905. From the George M. Ottinger Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photograph of seagulls, and possibly White American Pelicans, sitting or walking around rocks on a sandy hillside of Bird Island (Hat Island) with dry looking plants. Photo by George M. Ottinger, April 4th, 1905. From the George M. Ottinger Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photograph of a bird, probably a pelican, sitting on sandy beach near shoreline of Bird Island (Hat Island). Birds floating in water behind pelican. Photo by George M. Ottinger, April 4th, 1905. From the George M. Ottinger Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photo of Hat Island on the Great Salt Lake, Utah, circa 1880s, 1890s. From the Utah Humanities Research Foundation Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.