Soap Lake is a permanently stratified lake consisting of two separate water layers which have not mixed for over two thousand years. Soap Lake is believed to have been formed during the Great Missoula Ice Age floods more than 10,000 years ago, the last in a chain of six lakes dredged by the powerful ice flow that carved the Eastern Washington scablands and the Columbia River Basin as far south as Portland, OR . 

Because the lake’s highly saline and alkaline content has been preserved in the lower of two water layers that never mix, scientists have found unique life forms growing there may be descendants of aquatic life l00 centuries ago.  The rare conditions are found in only a few other places on earth, including the Dead Sea , Lake Baikal , Russia, and Mono Lake, CA .

Although both layers are quite alkaline and lack significant amounts of oxygen, the lower layer is much more saline and oxygen deprived. In addition, this lake has concentrations of sulfide generally considered toxic for most life forms. In spite of the extreme chemistry of this environment, the lake supports thriving communities of algae, zooplankton and bacteria. A microbial observatory, developed through a 2002 National Science Foundation grant, has been allowing for the study and quantification of the ecology and metabolic capabilities of the relatively unknown microorganisms that thrive in this extreme environment, and the discovery of several new microorganisms. 

Since the 1950s the chemical profile of SL has changed significantly. Some scientists predict that within 80 to 100 years it will be a fresh water lake if steps aren’t taken to preserve this natural resource. The Soap Lake Conservancy supported its science fellows in acquiring and establish the scientific information necessary to protect the unique qualities of the lake and to influence  economic recovery for the Soap Lake area. Members of the scientific advisory board applied for and received a National Science Foundation grant ($840,500) to begin studying the microbial diversity of SL. Amidst opposition from developers and some local businesses who saw resource protection as harmful to an already fragile economic environment, the Conservancy convened a 2002 Saline Lakes Science Conference to launch the new microbial observatory.

Soap Lake Conservancy, Soap Lake Revitalization Team, state agencies including Community Trade and Economic Development, citizens of Soap Lake and Grant County, and scientists working at Soap Lake including Dr. Holly Pinkart of Central Washington University , Dr. Brent Peyton of Washington State University , Dr. Melanie Mormile, of University of Missouri/Rolla, Dr. Anthony Gabriel of CWU, Dr. Michael Storrie-Lombardi, an astrobiologist and executive director of the Kinohi Institute, Pasadena, CA.   

Following a successful 2002 conference, a new group, the Soap Lake Revitalization team was formed involving both Conservancy and community members in addressing economic and natural resource concerns. The outcomes are a continuing dialogue institutionalized in a new conference, the Soap Lake Science Conference, to be held on  August 15, 2005 to announce scientific findings and address community needs. This is the most important single event in the three years since the Conservancy’s last scientific conference  Several new biological microorganisms are expected to be announced by the team of scientists that have been studying the lake’s unique ecology under the 2002 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The conference goal to provide the public, elected officials and water management agencies up and down the Coulee Corridor with critical information for future policy development.

An increasingly critical aspect of lake preservation has arisen in  view of the drought in this part of the Columbia Basin. Therefore this conference is also an opportunity to establish clear management options with the goal of maintaining and protecting this important natural resource for expanding tourism as well as scientific discovery and preservation.

The next steps are seen to include the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail as the next opportunity to build a collaborative effort beyond of the Soap Lake Conservancy/SLRT collaborative. An immediate and specific interest is to secure Soap Lake as the preferred trail environmental learning center site.