Great Salt Lake’s dust problem is exacerbated by hot and dry weather conditions. And right now, things are not looking good heading into the summer.
“The surface of Great Salt Lake is dry. Air temperatures are hot,” said Kevin Perry, professor of atmospheric studies at the University of Utah. “All we need now for significant dust events coming off Great Salt Lake are strong winds.”
Perry has kept a close eye on the parched lakebed for about a decade. If there are dry thunderstorms this summer, which northern Utah is no stranger to, it could trigger a “pretty significant dust season” into the fall.
The only thing that could tamp down the dust without human intervention is rain and getting more water into the Great Salt Lake — a tall order. Brian Steed, the Great Salt Lake commissioner, anticipates water levels will dropanother 1.5 feet by the end of the year.
“If it's hot and dry consistently over the summer, maybe having a little wind there, that can lead to bad situations for Great Salt Lake,” Steed said.
Currently, there are more than 800 square miles of exposed lakebed, which is two and a half times larger than New York City. Of that, Perry said four major dust hotspots have been identified that make up about 70 square miles.
“The closest one is in Farmington Bay, which is literally just steps away from many of the communities along the Wasatch Front,” he said.
Another hot spot is Bear River Bay, which is also close to a human population. As water levels continue to drop, there is a greater likelihood that more communities will be exposed to dust events.
That’s a problem because the dust contains known heavy metals like arsenic. The dust also contributes to Utah’s poor air quality.
Perry’s research also shows other potential hazards, such as bacteria or fungi. The big mystery is the impact Great Salt Lake dust could have on human health. While any kind of dust at high enough concentrations and prolonged exposure can cause issues, researchers haven’t been able to definitively say the lake dust is harmful.
“If it's causing human health problems, then the state will act to mitigate dust,” Perry said. “If it's not causing human health problems, then they will just focus on restoring the ecological health of the lake.”
Researchers don’t also don’t know how pervasive the problem is since there are only four monitoring stations but 800 square miles of parched lakebed.
“The big problem is we don't have a robust dust monitoring network in Utah.”
The majority of stations are located south of the lake, Perry added. What his team thinks is happening based on their analysis is that 75% of the dust moves north, away from Salt Lake City, and into communities that don’t have any monitoring. They won’t have a full understanding until the state completes a new monitoring program within the next few years.
Steed and Perry both agree that the best solution to resolve the myriad negative impacts caused by the lake’s drying is to shepherd more water to it. To do that, Perry said Utah needs to reduce water consumption by 30% even during the hot and dry months of summer. Despite all of the obstacles in the way of its restoration, Perry remains optimistic.
“I'm confident that Great Salt Lake is going to be the first saline Lake to be saved.”
