SALT LAKE CITY — State water officials say they hope a new water distribution management plan among mineral extraction companies can help the Great Salt Lake, as it plummets back to "really bad" levels again.
Utah Division of Water Rights officials unveiled a draft version of its Great Salt Lake Distribution Management Plan late last week, which outlines how much water mineral companies receive based on how high the lake's southern arm is every June.
Under the plan, water use is divided between companies once the water level drops below 4,200 feet elevation. All water rights for water diverted from the Great Salt Lake are unavailable once levels slip below 4,193 feet elevation, unless a "voluntary arrangement" is reached between the company and the state over water use.
Different tranches exist to direct water usage when levels are between 4,193 feet and 4,200 feet elevation. Companies receive more water as lake levels rise.
It seeks to strike the balance between recognizing existing water rights while addressing declining lake conditions, which is exactly what Utah lawmakers required the plan to do through a bill passed last year, said Teresa Wilhelmsen, Utah's engineer and director of the Utah Division of Water Rights.
"An arrangement might be something like agreeing to 'dedicate' or 'donate' water rights to support the health of the lake. By recognizing voluntary agreements, the state hopes to incentivize businesses to 'do the right thing' and give back to the lake," she added in a statement on Tuesday.
Although depletion by mineral extraction peaked in 2007, the state found that over 7% of the lake's human depletions are tied to mineral extraction. Most of the rights in the plan are tied to water that would otherwise end in the lake if it weren't diverted, said Blake Bingham, deputy state engineer, as he presented the plan last week.
It's meant to "harmonize" with the state's other Great Salt Lake plans, such as its comprehensive management plan, he said.
Water levels and other conditions of the Great Salt Lake's southern arm, like salinity, would then be evaluated every June 15. The state engineer will generate a priority schedule for Jan. 1 of the next year, allocating water rights among mineral extraction companies after that. Those who have had water rights the longest will receive the most water, Bingham explained.
"The more senior your water right is on the lake, the more available it's going to be at lower elevations of the lake," Bingham said, noting that the time between measurement and cuts gives companies time to adjust to how much water they can use in a given year.
Companies can apply for new mineral rights as long as they include a water depletion mitigation plan in their application. The division will decide whether to approve applications on a case-by-case basis, leading to possible changes to the annual schedule. Companies can also go through a different curtailment schedule if they file change applications that direct more water to the lake, according to the division.
The final plan is expected to be formally adopted on Oct. 1 before being implemented at the start of 2026.
Some voluntary agreements have already been reached. For example, the state struck a deal with Compass Minerals last year on a plan to permanently direct over 200,000 acre-feet of water to the Great Salt Lake annually.
Brian Steed, Utah's Great Salt Lake commissioner, called the plan an "important step" in getting the lake back to healthier levels. Its southern arm has now slipped below 4,192 feet elevation, 6 feet below what is considered its minimum healthy level.
He explained last week that while he's noticed lapses in how some residents have treated water in recent years, the distribution management plan is an example that state leaders are still committed to protecting the Great Salt Lake. Legislation tied to the Great Salt Lake could also be included in a special session later this year, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz added last week.
"I understand that people are tired of talking about the Great Salt Lake. ... What makes the Great Salt Lake hard is that it's going to be a long-term problem," Steed said. "I think all of us need to understand we're in crisis, and we can work forward together."
