The Spiral Jetty

Built by the American Artist Robert Smithson in April, 1970, the Spiral Jetty is located in a dynamic region of Great Salt Lake in northern Utah. Smithson's interest in the interplay between art and the natural environment has led to a work of art situated in a lake where the water level changes constantly.

This page provides images of the Spiral Jetty with corresponding lake levels. For an overview of the Spiral Jetty and lake levels recorded each April from 1970-2010, see my article The Spiral Jetty: Strata of Water.

For current lake levels in the northern half of Great Salt Lake, see data provided by USGS for Great Salt Lake water levels.
For more information on Smithson and the Spiral Jetty, see Dia Art Foundation and Robert Smithson at James Cohan Gallery.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty, taken May 21, 2012. Water level for the day remained at 4197.6 ft. Photograph by Jaimi Karoline Butler.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from March 19, 2012. Elevation for the day was 4198.1, over two and a half feet above the lake level at which the Spiral Jetty was built in April 1970 (4195.4 ft.). The Spiral Jetty is fully submerged for the first time in a few years. Photograph by Hikmet Sidney Loe.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from January 15, 2012. Elevation for the day was 4197.2. Photograph by Russell E. Costa/Hikmet Sidney Loe.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from January 15, 2012. Lake elevation for the day was 4197.2. Photograph by Russell E. Costa/Hikmet Sidney Loe.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from December 27, 2011. Lake elevation for the day was 4197. The lake has risen slightly since the fall months. Photograph by Mehmet Dogu.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from October 27, 2011. Lake elevation was 4196.7 that day. Photograph by Jaimi Karoline Butler.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from October 8, 2011. Lake elevation was 4196.8 that day. Photograph by Hikmet Sidney Loe.

Photographs of the Spiral Jetty from October 1, 2011. While the lake level has receded slightly, the water level is still high. Lake elevation averaged 4196.8 for the day. Photography by Hikmet Sidney Loe.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty from August 11, 2011. The small images in the water on the left are not rocks, they are the heads of people swimming at the Jetty. Right behind them are people standing in the water. Photograph by Jaimi Karoline Butler. Lake elevation averaged 4197.3 ft. for the day.

Photograph of the Spiral Jetty taken August 7, 2011, by Nicholas Serota. Lake elevation averaged 4197.4 ft. for the day.

Two photographs of the Spiral Jetty taken by Michael Slade, July 30, 2011. Michael waded through water 2-3 feet of water, beyond the Jetty, to take these photograph. Lake elevation averaged 4197.2 ft. for the day.

Two photographs of the Spiral Jetty taken by John Cinosky, while accompanying Alicia Cuccolo on her "American Land Art Tour 2011." They were at the site on July 27, 2011, when the lake elevation averaged 4197.2 ft. for the day.

Aerial photograph of the Spiral Jetty, taken July 15, 2011. Photograph by Cindy Lund. Lake elevation averaged 4197.1 ft. for the day.

The Spiral Jetty from the shoreline, taken July 15, 2011. Photograph by Fabien Danesi. Lake elevation averaged 4197.1 ft. for the day.

The Spiral Jetty from the outer coil, taken June 15, 2011. Photograph by Jaimi Karoline Butler. Lake elevation averaged 4197 ft. for the day.

The Spiral Jetty from the hilltop, taken on June 7, 2011. Photograph by Ray Boren. Lake elevation averaged over 4196.5 ft. for the day.

This image is from June 5, 2011. USGS lake level averaged 4196.5 ft. for the day. The Spiral Jetty is almost submerged. Photograph by Jaimi Karoline Butler.

This image is from June 1, 2011. USGS lake level averaged 4196.2 ft. for the day. The Spiral Jetty is on its way to being submerged. Photograph by Jaimi Karoline Butler.

This image is from April 22, 2011. USGS lake level averaged 4195.5 ft. The Spiral Jetty is dry. Photograph by Hikmet Sidney Loe.