The orchards lining your I-15 commute aren't just scenery. Utah is the second-largest tart cherry producer in the United States — and an ancient lake deserves part of the credit.

The Bear River accounts for roughly 60 percent of all surface water flowing into the Great Salt Lake. What happens to the Bear — how much snow falls in its headwaters, how much is diverted for farms and cities along the way — determines more about the lake's fate than almost any other single factor.

Utah Fun Facts: The Bingham Canyon Mine is the largest man-made excavation project on Earth and Beef – specifically cattle and calves – is Utah’s number one agricultural commodity.

Utah Fun Fact: A World-Class Dinosaur Discovery Region

According to the Utah Geological Survey, more than 100 dinosaur species have been identified from Utah's rock formations—and that number continues to grow with new discoveries every year.

The real surprise is how long Utahns have been tackling this smog problem. In the 1880s, coal and wood smoke was so thick that residents had to clean soot from their walls with sponges. Salt Lake City passed its first air quality ordinance in 1891—five years before statehood—with fines of $5 to $50 per day for excessive smoke (when the average worker made just 14 cents per hour).

Playing in arguably the toughest conference in college basketball—the Big 12—BYU has a real opportunity to change its Top-5 history. The next six weeks of conference play will tell us whether the Cougars can increase their number of top 5 rankings, or maybe something bigger.

Utah Sports Ink | Mountain & Main