Close up of Brine Fly Pupae Mats.

The Pupae is one of the life phases of the Brine fly, food to the 12 million migrating birds. The mats, thus the flies, decreased while the lake was at its 2022 record low. This year, with the lake up 2 ft from the record low, the mats were "as They as cakes" According to Dr. Bonnie Baxter, Director of the Great Salt Lake Institute showing some aspects of the ecosystem that are dying could recover if water was diverted to the lake.