A recent scientific report from Brigham Young University warned that if no action is taken, the Great Salt Lake could go completely dry in five years. Scientists point to climate change and rapid population growth - Utah is one of the fastest growing states and also one of the driest - as the culprits. The lake doesn't really stink anymore because it's drying. Lucky? Maybe one small bright spot in an otherwise grim story of a looming ecological disaster. 'It's just not here anymore, so you're lucky that it gets to smell so bad.' 'People have been saying that they miss the lake stink because it just makes them feel like home,' Biedul says. But it's actually a good thing, a sign of a biologically healthy saline lake. One thing that's hard to prepare for though, is the stench: a pungent odor like sulfur and dead fish.

The mud with a frozen, slick layer of ice on top gets treacherous. Most important she's wearing thick, sturdy, rubber boots.

She's bundled up in an orange puffy jacket, gloves and hat. Biedul is a biologist with the Great Salt Lake Institute. 'These might even be my footprints from last week,' says Carly Biedul, pointing to indents in the mud. Trekking along the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake - the largest remaining saltwater lake in the western hemisphere - can feel eerie and lonely. A snowy winter recently has helped lake levels some. The Great Salt Lake is roughly 8-9 feet lower than it should be.

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