WILLARD BAY, Utah — Brian Steed knows the stakes are high.
"It’s exciting and a little scary," he said in an interview Friday with FOX 13 News. "I think there’s a lot on the line in getting the Great Salt Lake right."
Steed is the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, a powerful new position in Utah government. He will come up with plans to reverse the lake's historic declines and make it thrive. The position even gives him the ability to override other state agencies' decisions if it means protecting the lake.
"I am prepared that this job will involve some tough calls. The lake is really important," he said. "The other things that we’re doing with water right now in the state are also important. We’re going to have to find a way to balance that equation in a way that works for both."
The Great Salt Lake dropped to its lowest level in recorded history last year, alarming the public and political leaders. A shrinking lake impacts public health, the economy and Utah's ecology with toxic dust that blows into northern Utah communities, reduced snowpack in the mountains and reduced wetland habitat.
Lawmakers reacted by passing a series of bills and spending about $1 billion over the past two years on water conservation measures. The commissioner position was created by the Utah legislature this year to coordinate a number of interests surrounding the lake. Steed, who previously served as director of Utah's Department of Natural Resources and now heads Utah State University's Janet Quinney Lawson Insitutute for Land, Water & Air, was hired by Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Brad Wilson, and Senate President J. Stuart Adams.
"You’re going to have to balance political feasibility, economic feasibility as well as the necessities of the lake and trying to find that sweet spot again," Steed said.
The good news is the Great Salt Lake has risen about 5 1/2 feet since that historic low last year thanks to an amazing winter that produced record-breaking snowfall. But the lake still is about 4 to 5 feet below what's considered a "healthy range." Utah's Department of Natural Resources told FOX 13 News on Friday that the lake has likely hit its peak this year and levels will now start declining as a result of hotter temperatures and increased water diversion upstream.
In his new job, Steed said he does have some policy ideas he'd like to see advanced centered around growth and agriculture to help the lake.
"I think we do need to have more focus on how we grow as a state, especially on the Wasatch Front and in the Great Salt Lake watershed. So make sure we are not always in demand of more water in our municipal and industrial settings. Maybe having more water-neutral growth or some type of policy like that to advance I think would be very interesting," he said. "Secondly, when it comes to agriculture there are gains in efficiency that can be made without having it be the demise of agriculture."
Steed said he would like to see more agriculture producers adopt new technologies that help them grow crops with less water.
"The real key then is that next step to make sure that water savings reaches it to places that need it like the Great Salt Lake," he added.
Environmentalists are watching with anticipation to see what Steed can accomplish in the new role.
"While we’re skeptical of the additional layer of bureaucracy with the GSL Commissioner role, we’re glad to see our leadership taking this issue seriously and we have tremendous faith in Brian Steed," said Chandler Rosenberg with Save Our Great Salt Lake. "Under the commissioner’s leadership, we hope to see greater inclusion of underrepresented voices on Great Salt Lake issues, especially tribes, residents nearest to the lakeshores facing disproportionate health impacts from the toxic dust, and community members at large."
Steed said he intends to seek input from all stakeholders, including environmental and tribal groups, agriculture producers and industries.
"There's a lot of people who have different interests. We all depend on the same water the lake depends on in some degree," he said. "So we have to make sure people have enough water and the lake gets water and is heard."
Steed said Utahns cannot take a good winter for granted.
"Yeah, we’ve had a really good year. But it’s not enough," he said. "We need to be conservation minded. We need to make sure the water we use, we use in smart ways."
