A Survival Story About Friendship, Consequences, and What We’ll Do to Live
The lake is gone. The dust is toxic. Some places don’t forgive mistakes.
When the Great Salt Lake disappeared, it left behind something deadly—a vast wasteland of toxic dust that poisons everything it touches. Alice thought she knew the risks when she convinced her friends to spend one last weekend at their secret campsite. She was wrong.
Four friends. One weekend. Choices that can’t be undone.
Alice has always been the planner, the decision-maker, the one who gets things done. But what happens when being in control becomes controlling others? When the person who always has the answers leads everyone into danger?
Todd warned her it wasn’t safe. Chuck said they shouldn’t risk it. Mel went along because that’s what best friends do—even when they’re struggling with problems Alice never noticed.
Now they’re trapped in a toxic wasteland where every choice matters, where friendship is tested by survival, and where Alice must face the truth about who she really is.
About the Story
I came up with this story idea as I started seeing more articles talking about the Great Salt Lake drying up. The mention of heavy metals being kicked up in the air and ecological collapses sent my mind down the path that led to the hellscape that is the Great Salt Bowl. The adventure into the Great Salt Bowl would require a fortitude that someone couldn’t have unless they experienced it. I might have exaggerated the situation in the Great Salt Bowl, but I wanted to make people think about how far things could escalate. Also, to ask, if we’re prepared to give up when facing such potential outcomes.
Right now, we’re see-sawing on the eventual collapse of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. I hope my story doesn’t come true. Anyway, let’s look at more about the fictional side of things.
The Great Salt Bowl explores the psychological landscape of survival as much as the physical one. Set against the backdrop of an environmental disaster that’s all too possible, this story examines:
- How good intentions can lead to devastating consequences
- The difference between leadership and control
- What happens when we finally see ourselves clearly
- The true cost of always needing to be right
This isn’t just a survival story—it’s a mirror that asks uncomfortable questions about how we treat the people closest to us.
Environmental Context
The Great Salt Lake has already lost over 70% of its water since the 1980s. Scientists warn that without intervention, it could disappear within years, creating exactly the kind of toxic dust bowl depicted in this story. Sometimes the most terrifying fiction is the kind that could actually happen.
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The Great Salt Bowl is a standalone novelette exploring themes of environmental consequence, personal responsibility, and the true meaning of friendship.
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Key Articles About Great Salt Lake Toxic Dust
Scientific Research & Studies:
- “Drying Great Salt Lake Could Expose Millions to Toxic Arsenic-Laced Dust” (Smithsonian Magazine, 2023) – Documents how exposed lakebed creates toxic dust containing arsenic, copper, and other heavy metals
- “Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust?” (@theU Research, University of Utah) – Details research showing the dust contains more leachable metals than expected
- “An increasing threat of toxic dust from a drying Great Salt Lake” (Utah State University) – Documents high concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper, and mercury in dust samples
Environmental Crisis Coverage:
- “Scientists fear a Great Toxic Dustbowl could soon emerge from the Great Salt Lake” (CNN, 2023) – Explains how 800 square miles of exposed lakebed contains centuries of toxins
- “Why We’re in Court to Protect the Great Salt Lake” (Earthjustice, 2025) – Quotes lawmakers calling it an “environmental nuclear bomb”
- “Here’s what the Great Salt Lake’s dust is doing to our bodies” (Salt Lake Tribune, 2023) – Health impacts of arsenic, copper and mercury in airborne particles
Government Response:
- “Understanding Great Salt Lake Dust and Air Quality” (Utah Department of Environmental Quality, 2025) – Official government monitoring data
- “Utah scientists discuss dangers of Great Salt Lake toxic dust” (KPCW, 2025) – Recent community forums about public health impacts
Kenneth W. Myers 