Latest news with #GreatSaltLake
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
As the Great Salt Lake dries up, clouds of dangerous dust blow into boomtowns
GREAT SALT LAKE, Utah — Kevin Perry was standing on the parched lakebed when the wind started to pick up. He squinted across a cracked, gray expanse of earth, submerged 16 feet underwater just five decades ago, and saw a wall of dust headed straight for him.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Officials stunned by drastic transformation in Great Salt Lake over summer months: 'We're sitting at … a scary low level'
Officials stunned by drastic transformation in Great Salt Lake over summer months: 'We're sitting at … a scary low level' Utah's Great Salt Lake has alarmingly low water levels amid drought conditions, The Salt Lake Tribune reports, and it's not the first time in recent years that officials have raised alarms. What's happening? According to the Tribune, Great Salt Lake water levels are currently approaching a "record-low" elevation last recorded back in 2022. That reporting cited a November 2022 article about the saltwater lake's imminent "ecological collapse." Biology professor Bonnie Baxter of Westminster College's Great Salt Lake Institute spoke to the outlet about conditions at the lake. "We don't have clouds of flies around our ankles anymore. The flies don't look right. They're small. They're behaving funny," Baxter said at the time. In 2023, researchers at Brigham Young University called for "emergency measures" to prevent the lake's ecosystem from inevitable collapse. Their predictions were startling — without intervention, they estimated the Great Salt Lake would dry up by 2028. Statewide, Utah has endured drought and hot, dry weather, exacerbating the ongoing issue. On July 29, Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed was blunt about the implications of low water levels. "In truth, we're sitting at, really, a scary low level," Steed admitted. Why are low water levels so 'scary'? Back in 2022, Baxter explained a bit about how low water levels had already adversely impacted the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and affected some of its key native species, brine shrimp and brine flies. "It's not like we've got a thousand different food chains. There's two with these two keystone species," she said. Should the government be allowed to restrict how much water we use? Definitely Only during major droughts No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Dangerously volatile salinity levels are one of the problems caused by rapid changes to the lake's waters. According to the Tribune, Great Salt Lake water levels need to be at least six feet higher to ensure a balanced ecosystem. At present, levels are teetering on the precipice of "'adverse' conditions," when "invasive [tall grasses] dominate wetlands, salinity rises, boats cannot launch from marinas, and mineral extraction companies struggle to pump brine." Back in 2023, NPR reported that environmental conditions and poor air quality had begun to affect residents living near the lake, where higher rates of cardiovascular disease and asthma were observed. What's being done about it? One bright spot in years of reporting on the rapid evaporation of Utah's Great Salt Lake is that officials and state lawmakers remain in bipartisan agreement about the need to act. On Thursday, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz signaled that a special session to address the crisis would likely occur in the fall. Schultz alluded to introducing "some additional tools to the toolbox to help the ecosystem on the south arm." Conservation measures are in effect in the area, and Newsweek contacted Steed's office for information on how locals can act to preserve the Great Salt Lake. A representative said cutting down on outdoor watering remains the "single biggest opportunity for conservation." Residents were also advised to monitor indoor water use and to consider "water-efficient appliances" when possible. Finally, the office indicated that replacing lawns with drought-tolerant foliage would go a long way to preserve the Great Salt Lake. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opinion: The dust we breathe — Utah's urgent wake-up call from the Great Salt Lake
Since 1987, there has been a steady decline in the Great Salt Lake's water elevation. 2022 reached its lowest annual lake elevation in recorded history, raising alarm throughout the Great Basin in Utah, from Brigham City, Farmington and Ogden to Orem, Provo and beyond. In response, researchers, policymakers, businesses, faith groups, farmers, ranchers and nonprofits have stepped up to address a crisis that has already exposed roughly 1,110 square miles of lakebed. The Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah) collaborates with these stakeholders to confront the growing threat of hazardous dust storms that originate from the drying lakebed and worsen our already poor air quality. This is not a distant concern — these storms are already happening and are becoming more frequent. Currently, Utah experiences a few dust storms per year. But as the lake continues to shrink, both the frequency and intensity of these storms will increase. The Salt Lake Valley's unique geography traps air pollution, meaning that harmful particles from dust storms can linger in our communities for days. These dust events are most common in spring and fall due to passing cold fronts, though summer thunderstorms can also trigger them. With rising temperatures and a changing climate, dust storm conditions will become even more prevalent, blowing toxic particles from the exposed lakebed directly into our homes and lungs. The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, which means that all precipitation that falls as rain or snow within its watershed flows into the lake and remains there, with no natural outlet. This means that any pollution this water picks up along the way ends up in the lake. We know from researchers that the lake sediment contains potentially harmful elements, including aluminum, antimony, arsenic, copper, uranium and vanadium. When airborne, these elements contribute to serious health risks. Exposure to polluted air can cause short and long-term health problems including coughing, shortness of breath and asthma. Chronic exposure to elements found in the lakebed can result in various health impacts, including lung and heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. Utah already ranks among the worst states in the nation for air pollution. According to the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air report, Salt Lake City, Provo and Orem rank 25th out of 225 metro areas in the nation for worst short-term particle pollution, and 54th out of 208 for year-round particle pollution. While Utah is making some efforts to increase water inflows to the lake, more must be done. Getting more water in the lake is critical to keeping dust on the playa and out of our atmosphere. At the same time, dust storms are already impacting our health and our lungs. State regulators and lawmakers must prioritize comprehensive dust monitoring and air quality alerts for communities around the lake. Though the Legislature has yet to fully fund this work, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and Division of Air Quality are committed to building a statewide dust monitoring network. This is essential to establishing a baseline dataset, tracking environmental changes, and protecting public health today and in the years to come. Utah must ensure that all communities living near the Great Salt Lake are informed about the potential dangers of dust storms. Schools, daycares, elder care facilities, centers serving people with disabilities, and outdoor workers must have access to the resources needed to protect themselves. A stronger, more coordinated response is essential, one in which communities receive clear guidance and support from the state and researchers to guard against the lake's worsening air pollution concerns. This support should include, at the bare minimum, funding air filtration systems in homes and businesses, providing face masks to block harmful particulate matter, improved access to medical care, and creating a reliable alert system to warn residents of incoming dust storms. These collective actions, from residents and decision makers alike, will help ensure Utah is ready to face a dusty future, at least until the lake is restored to healthy levels. This work is difficult, long term, and there is no one solution. But Utahns are adaptable, extremely intelligent and creative. By practicing gratitude for our Great Salt Lake while taking action to increase water flows and dust monitoring, we can be cautiously optimistic for the future of the lake.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Quote of the Day: The Great Salt Lake Is Evaporating Fast. Could Utah Save It?
'The legislative and executive appetite to get water to the lake has absolutely evaporated.' BEN ABBOTT, ecology professor at Brigham Young University and the lead author of a 2023 report warning that Utah's Great Salt Lake could disappear in as little as five years.
