Soap Lake, Washington

The mineral rich waters of Soap Lake, in central Washington, have been used for their curative properties for centuries. The lake is approximately 2 miles in area and around 70 feet deep.The region evolved into a tourist economy in the early 1900's, as resorts and sanitariums developed along the shores of the alkali lake. After the creation of the irrigation systems in the Columbia Basin Project, fresh water began to seep into the lake, as well as runoff from agriculture (which brings in phosphates). As a result the lake level rose, and the mineral content plummeted. Groundwater pumps were installed above the lake to keep some of the fresh water from "contaminating" the lake, however it remains chemically very different than it was naturally, and few people come these days to "take the waters." In 2002, the National Science Foundation awarded a group of scientists a three year grant to study life in the harsh lake environment, in the hope of learning more about the possibiltiy of life in an equally harsh environment - Mars.