Over two decades of the western drought, water diversions from rivers that feed the Great Salt Lake have increased to support farms and growing cities. A report from BYU warns that if no action is taken, the lake could go completely dry in five years.
The Great Salt Lake is roughly 8-9 feet lower than it should be. A snowy winter recently has helped lake levels some.
The mud with a frozen, slick layer of ice on top gets treacherous. One thing that’s hard to prepare for though, is the stench: a pungent odor like sulfur and dead fish. But it’s actually a good thing, a sign of a biologically healthy saline lake. Over two decades of the western megadrought, water diversions from rivers that feed the lake have increased in order to support farms and thirsty, growing cities.A drying lake could lead to an environmental and economic collapse
Consider the disappearing brine flies as an indicator species. They’re at the bottom of the food chain, and feed the brine shrimp, which sustain the thousands of migrating birds and so on.
Much of the area is zoned for manufacturing, but it’s also one of the last bastions of affordability in the city. Bitton’s neighborhood is already hemmed in by two busy freeways, an international airport, and it’s close to Utah’s largest oil refinery.“We’re talking about something that could potentially make these neighborhoods, I don’t want to say uninhabitable, but for those that are vulnerable, for those that have lung issues, uninhabitable,” Bitton says.
On Utah’s Capitol Hill, state lawmakers are debating a roughly $500 million spending package geared toward saving the lake. At the state capitol, lawmakers this session are facing pressure to save the lake, and Gov. Spencer Cox is under the gun to call a state of emergency.
From Utah’s Capitol Hill, there’s a sweeping view of the Salt Lake City skyline, and to the west, past the airport, the receding lake is visible, shimmering gray at dusk. It’s an ominous sight, but if nothing else, hard for state leaders to ignore. SIEGLER: Now, trekking along its receding shoreline, especially if it’s the dead of winter, can feel eerie and lonely.SIEGLER: Carly Biedul is a biologist with the Great Salt Lake Institute. She’s bundled up in an orange, puffy jacket, gloves and hat. And most importantly, she’s wearing thick, sturdy rubber boots. The mud with the frozen, slick layer of ice on top – it’s treacherous.This is pungent right here.The stink is a sign of a biologically healthy saline lake.
SIEGLER: So what brought us to this brink? Two decades of a Western megadrought and water diversions from rivers upstream for farms and suburbs.SIEGLER: Now, if this lake goes away, just the economic fallout alone is dizzying, from brine shrimp fishing to mining to Utah’s ski resorts that benefit from extra lake effect snow. And then there’s the pollution.
BITTON: I mean, we’re talking about something that could potentially make these neighborhoods – I don’t want to say uninhabitable – but for those that are vulnerable, for those that have lung issues, uninhabitable.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Climate change and a population boom could dry up the Great Salt Lake in 5 yearsUtah leaders are under pressure to end water diversions and enforce tougher restrictions in order save the drying Great Salt Lake. A recent report predicted it will completely dry in five years.
Read more »
Great Salt Lake is shrinking, but habitat work means more birdsAs lawmakers were opening the state's wallet to spend a half billion dollars on water conservation including strategies in 2022, the birds began showing up in greater numbers at a nature conservatory next to the Great Salt Lake in western Davis County.
Read more »
Traffic impacts expected as Salt Lake City begins Sugar House street makeoverConstruction is set to begin this month on a vital business corridor in Salt Lake City.
Read more »
7 arrested in drug trafficking investigation in Utah and Salt Lake countiesUtah County law enforcers served search warrants on four homes simultaneously last week, resulting in the arrests of seven people and the seizure of multiple pounds of meth and heroin.
Read more »
Jazz, Salt Lake City ready to shine during All-Star WeekendWith less than two weeks before NBA All-Star Weekend tips off in Utah, there's no lack of excitement for the return of the massive event to Salt Lake City.
Read more »
Is pumping Mississippi River water to Lake Powell and Lake Mead a solution or dream?“The drought is so critical that this recent rainfall is a little like finding a $20 bill when you’ve lost your job and you’re being evicted from your house,” said Rhett Larson, an Arizona State University professor of water law.
Read more »