The Great Salt Lake scarily approaches record lows as we enter the new year. The lake has been circulating throughout the news as overconsumption as its watershed persists, the warming climate making it drier than ever. The water shed kicked off October 1st, yet the region has seen little to no precipitation as the winter deepens. The occasional rainy day brings temporary gratification, but without more frequent snowfall, our reservoirs will lose their primary source of water.
The Provo and Jordan river basins have snowpack that’s at 68% of normal amounts, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service data collected on January 2nd. Journalist Leia Larsen from The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the Weber River basin was at 71% of normal amounts. The Bear River, the Great Salt Lake’s largest tributary, got a boost over the weekend. Its watershed is faring better with snowpack at 104% of normal amount in its watershed, but combined it all paints a pretty dismal picture.
The southernmost portion of the lake holds the highest amount of ecological activity, narrowly sitting at 4,191.6 feet above sea level. That’s only three feet higher than its record low reported around 4 years ago. The hypersaline north arm is about a half a foot lower, whilst all the rainfall from the prior weeks scarcely registered. The frightening approach to the Great Salt Lake record low elevation shows a heartbreaking disappearance of wildlife and major effects on migrating birds.
The obvious shrinking threatens not only the wildlife habitats of abundant organisms, but also Utah’s economy, with billion dollar industries, access to employment, local air quality, and water supply vital to our environment’s well-being. Scientific warnings estimate its demise in 2028 without drastic water conservation. Initiatives have been put in place to stabilize water levels and even increase them. We can be a part of this change by protesting policy changes for where our water goes, funding research and infrastructure to shift a mindset in how valuable the Great Salt Lake truly is.
