Great Salt Lake Collaborative
Leia Larsen and Addy Baird
Salt Lake Tribune reporters
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribine) The smut and sypsum piles at US Magnesium, which has ceased operations at the magnesium plant on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake, is pictured on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribine) The smut and sypsum piles at US Magnesium, which has ceased operations at the magnesium plant on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake, is pictured on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.

Details
The US Magnesium plant had been shut down since 2021 but continued to pump large amounts of water from the shrinking lake. Utah has successfully bid to seize control of the defunct US Magnesium plant,...
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A data center, being built by QTS, begins to take shape west to the Meta facility in Eagle Mountain on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A data center, being built by QTS, begins to take shape west to the Meta facility in Eagle Mountain on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.

Details
Gov. Spencer Cox says conservation and tech don’t have to clash. But Utah’s push to attract data centers — fueled by AI demand — is raising questions about just how much water they actually use. In la...
 

GSLC logo white

 

Stay up to date with our newsletter

Subscribe

© 2026 Great Salt Lake Collaborative
A Solutions Journalism Project
Stories copyright their respective publishers, used by permission.

 Facebook   Instagram

 

Site by Third Sun