A view of Lake Abert from atop Abert Rim:
You are looking at a nuclear waste dump.
Lake Abert is a remnant of what was once a much larger lake thousands of years ago when the climate provided far more moisture. It lies in a basin which has no outlet and as a result, the mineral salts which dissolved into the larger prehistoric lake have been concentrated in Lake Abert. It is home to a great abundance of brine shrimp which serve as food for many birds during their migrations.
See here.
Possible deer and antelope, cougars and bear and lesser creatures might also sip from this nuclear waste dump. With no outlet to the oceans, the nuclear waste will be there for longer than anyone can reckon.
To the east of Abert Rim was this:
In order to preserve and protect the environment for nuclear waste dumps like Lake Abert, the Crump Geyser has gone away. Now it is just a wet spot waiting for development of a vast geothermal resources as it has for half a century since the geyser was drilled.
Who needs nuclear geothermal power when we got man-made nuclear power and lakes and caves and oceans to dump the waste in?
Nuclear power plants cost a lot more than the free power Mother Nature offers from the warmness of her heart but who cares about cost when the government needs to spend all the money it can borrow?
Best, Terry