Independent Senate candidate is stressing environmental concerns in his race against GOP Sen. Mike Lee.
The pitched battle for a Senate majority is being fought, in part, along the Great Salt Lake's miles of flat expanses in northern Utah.
But supporters of McMullin, a former undercover CIA officer and chief policy director for House Republicans before growing disaffected with the GOP in 2016, when the party nominated Donald Trump for president, note the results of a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll. The survey, conducted from Sept. 3 to Sept. 21, gave Lee a lead over McMullin of only 36% to 34%.
Running for Senate this year, McMullin is pursuing a nonpartisan campaign, pledging he won't caucus with either party if he makes it to the Senate. McMullin got a serious boost in April when Utah Democrats decided not to put forward their own Senate nominee and instead combine forces with his candidacy.
The lake has already shrunk by more than 65% over the last three decades, taking up less than 1,000 square miles, compared to the 3,300 it covered in the late 1980s, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. As the water levels continue to shrink, the lake’s salinity will only rise — threatening the local ecosystem.
As water continues to shrink, that salinity could reach 17% by the end of the summer and threaten the algae in the water. The algae is a crucial food source for brine shrimp that live in the lake, which in turn are crucial food sources for the millions of migratory birds that travel through the area each year.
During Utah's legislative session earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill that would divert funds to “prepare and maintain a comprehensive plan” for the lake that would develop strategies to “deal with a fluctuating lake level” and encourage nearby development to preserve its water levels. Lawmakers also established a Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program that aims to increase water flow into the lake.
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