Long-term drought has significantly contributed to the Great Salt Lake’s decline, but approximately 75% of the issue stems from human activities. According to research published in 2022, excessive water consumption by humans has taken a toll over the decades.
In 2022, state officials took decisive action to address the crisis. Lawmakers allocated $40 million to establish a water trust aimed at enhancing both water quality and quantity. Additionally, alterations to Utah’s water law now designate it as a “beneficial use” for farmers to redirect their allotted water into lakes, incentivizing donations and water transfers. Previously, any unused water rights could be lost.
National authorities also initiated modifications along the causeway dividing the lake’s northern and southern sections, enabling control over water and salt flow. Fortunately, this winter brought about double the normal snowfall in the mountains, which played a key role in the lake’s recovery.
Kevin Perry, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Utah specializing in the Great Salt Lake and its toxic dust, noted that these combined factors significantly lowered the lake’s salinity, effectively “saving it.”
According to Perry, “That huge snowpack buried and diluted all the salt in the southern part of the lake.”
The ecosystem is showing signs of recovery; “The seeds are back,” Perry remarked.
Baxter added, “This year’s flies were just tough.”
These changes were enough to temporarily avert a crisis, at least for now.
Joel Ferry, director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, expressed relief, stating, “We dodged an environmental nuclear bomb. We put away the red button.”
However, water levels have yet to return to a healthy state, and the potential impact of this year’s excessive snowfall continues to pose challenges.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
