Salt Lake Tribune
Great Salt Lake dust isn’t being measured accurately. Here’s what the state is doing about it.
May 21st 2025 by Megan Banta and Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
The state is still trying to bridge the gap in its monitoring network, a state environmental scientist said. In late January, a weather satellite captured a stream of dust lifting off the Great Salt...
How a collapsing Great Salt Lake could take Utah’s economy — and maybe your employer — down with it
May 14th 2025 by Tony Semerad / Salt Lake Tribune
On top of environmental dangers, a new University of Utah study warns, a dried lake bed and toxic dust storms could bring huge business losses to the Wasatch Front. Spiraling dangers from a dried-up...
Utah farmers signed up for federally funded therapy. Then the money stopped.
May 2nd 2025 by Jessica Schreifels / Salt Lake Tribune
Farmers are dying by suicide at the third-highest rate by vocation in Utah. But after a federal program offering mental health support ran out of money, the state did not continue it. Note to reader...
March storms have boosted snowpack across the West. Here’s why Lake Powell’s outlook hasn’t improved much.
March 20th 2025 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
“It’s not a one-to-one relationship between the amount of snowpack we have and the amount of runoff we get,” a hydrologist said. Storms this month have brought much-needed snow to the mountains abov...
Colorado River ‘running out of time’ to improve lagging spring outlook, forecasters say
March 10th 2025 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
With spring on the horizon, snowpack in the Rocky Mountains and forecasted inflows for Lake Powell remain below average. Winter is drawing to a close, and with it, so are the chances of boosting sno...
This southern Utah county plans to turn wastewater into drinking water
March 6th 2025 by Mark Eddington / Salt Lake Tribune
Experts say treated wastewater will be perfectly safe and taste great St. George • If Washington County residents want to know what’s on tap to shore up the drought-prone area’s water supply, they n...
Snowpack in the Rockies is lagging well below average. Colorado River forecasters still see hope on the horizon.
February 12th 2025 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
“Confidence is growing” in future storms, which would boost predictions for Lake Powell. This year’s dry January hurt forecasts for the Colorado River, but February may position the basin for a come...
‘Year of uncertainty’: Utah farmers could feel the pinch from Trump’s tariffs, immigration policies
February 12th 2025 by Mark Eddington / Salt Lake Tribune
Farmers and agricultural officials vent, weigh concerns at Utah Hay Symposium St. George — Retaliatory tariffs and the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration have Utah farmers on edge. Th...
Amid a freeze, Utah granted millions of gallons of new water rights in the Great Salt Lake basin. Here’s where the water will go.
February 10th 2025 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
The state’s Great Salt Lake czar is evaluating the boundaries of the moratorium and has recommended the state change the allowance for new water rights. In two years, the state approved about 2,500...
The Rocky Mountains have gotten near-average snow this year. So, why are forecasts for Lake Powell inflows so low?
January 16th 2025 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
The Rocky Mountains have gotten near-average snow this year. So, why are forecasts for Lake Powell inflows so low? Snowpack levels across the Upper Colorado River Basin are close to average for this...
How much water flows to the Great Salt Lake? New streamgages might have the answer, officials say.
January 2nd 2025 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure, and I think that’s the theme of the last few years,” said Deputy State Engineer Blake Bingham. Before a newly installed streamgage went into the North Fork...
Utah argues US Magnesium is ‘unable or unwilling’ to protect the Great Salt Lake as judge appoints outsider to run the company
December 20th 2024 by Megan Banta, Shannon Sollitt and Sheila McCann / Salt Lake Tribune
US Magnesium says it stopped building a retaining wall meant to keep toxic waste out of the Great Salt Lake because it’s no longer mining magnesium and therefore, according to the company, is not crea...
Why work has stopped on a wall to keep ‘highly acidic’ waste away from the Great Salt Lake
December 16th 2024 by Shannon Sollitt and Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
US Magnesium was required to install a massive underground wall to keep “highly acidic” waste away from the lake, under agreements with the Environmental Protection Agency. US Magnesium acknowledges...
$50M from Inflation Reduction Act will be spent to deliver more water to the Great Salt Lake
December 2nd 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
State officials say they’ll also leverage another $50 million in funds — totaling $100 million — to enhance ongoing conservation efforts and shepherd more water to the Great Salt Lake. Utah will rec...
More lithium projects approved in Utah’s redrock country
October 15th 2024 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
A lithium boom in southeastern Utah is only getting bigger, and the mining companies involved in two new explorations for the mineral want to use a lot of water. The Bureau of Land Management recent...
Great Salt Lake had another ‘game changer’ of a water year. Will Utah see a third wet year?
October 8th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
“We all have to understand that we are living in a desert … and it really matters how we use our water,” the Great Salt Lake commissioner said. A pair of good water years have helped stabilize the...
Is this what finally prompts action to save the Great Salt Lake? Activist and researchers hope so.
August 28th 2024 by Megan Banta and Jose Davila IV / Salt Lake Tribune
One community activist on Salt Lake County’s west side is ready for solutions, not just studies, about air quality and environmental injustice. “It’s been known for years that this has been going on...
Another Lake Powell pipeline proposal — but for Arizona tribes
July 26th 2024 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
Proposed legislation would bring water from the reservoir to tribal communities who lack access to drinking water, Arizona lawmakers say. There’s another proposal on the table to build a pipeline fr...
Utah received money to study the harmful effects of Great Salt Lake dust. It just hasn’t spent it.
July 26th 2024 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
The Utah Legislature provided funding for increased dust monitoring in 2023. As the Great Salt Lake shrinks, dust from its lakebeds impacts the air that millions on the Wasatch Front breathe. That...
Hungry, hungry bovines: How cows are helping benefit the Great Salt Lake
July 17th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
The Nature Conservancy Utah has gained ground on thousands of acres of wetland in its yearslong battle against the invasive grass using its own herd and cows from local ranchers. Syracuse • Conserva...
A major indie-pop band is asking its Utah fans to care about the Great Salt Lake
July 15th 2024 by Palak Jayswal / Salt Lake Tribune
The band AJR, playing two shows this week at Delta Center, is working with two Utah environmental groups Two Utah environmental groups are teaming up with a major pop band to bring awareness to the...
St. George got hammered in the national media as a water waster. Can the green spot in the desert become a saver?
June 25th 2024 by Mark Eddington / Salt Lake Tribune
Washington County is getting serious about saving water, even as the Lake Powell pipeline seems like a pipe dream. St. George • Zach Renstrom was pitching water conservation ideas several years ago...
Wildlife are losing habitat at Great Salt Lake. A nonprofit is working to build some back
June 17th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
The Nature Conservancy has built more than 100 acres of new wetlands in the last few years and has plans for other projects, including a 200-acre project near Syracuse A mother duck and her slew of...
Great Salt Lake had a Sailfest regatta again, but there’s still ‘a lot of work to do’
June 16th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
Sailfest returned on Saturday for the first time in five years. The event was canceled in previous years because of low lake levels and the pandemic. Steve Harty started sailing two decades ago duri...
Utah cities hit a snag as they write plans to reuse wastewater flowing to the Great Salt Lake
June 5th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
A flurry of water reuse claims could threaten to take more water from the Great Salt Lake, but the dozens of applications sit unapproved because of statutory issues. An effort by Utah cities and oth...
Great Salt Lake’s drying lakebed isn’t ‘toxic’ or the biggest source of dust, experts say
May 30th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
Dust pollution has been relatively similar in years when lake levels were vastly different, according to data from two different federal agencies. It’s easy to see dust blowing off the Great Salt La...
Here’s how much water is flowing to the Great Salt Lake as the snow melts
May 22nd 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
About 37% more water is flowing into the Great Salt Lake from its tributaries than in a typical year, according to federal data. About 37% more water is flowing into the Great Salt Lake from its tri...
These are the 10 reasons Utahns can save the Great Salt Lake, a state official says
May 11th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
Speakers at a three-day forum expressed hope for the lake’s future, and listed the things Utahns can do that others haven’t to protect and sustain the Great Salt Lake. Utahns know the challenge ahea...
Damage to Glen Canyon Dam reveals vulnerabilities of the entire Colorado River system
May 10th 2024 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
Recently discovered issues could affect how Upper Basin states deliver water to Lower Basin states. Glen Canyon Dam, which creates the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., enables the distribution...
Climate change may help the Colorado River, new study says
May 9th 2024 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
Researchers still recommend a conservative approach to river management. A new study found that the Colorado River may experience a rebound after two decades of decreased flows due to drought and gl...
Bear River pipeline no longer an option to aid in northern Utah growth
May 8th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
One of Utah’s top lawmakers said the state shouldn’t follow the plan while he and another state legislator talked about how the Legislature has ‘fundamentally reshaped things’ to help save the Great S...
Why Utahns should care about the Colorado River
May 2nd 2024 by Anastasia Hufham / Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune has joined the Colorado River Collaborative to keep Utahns informed about this vital resource. The Colorado River no longer reaches the sea. The river winds down the mountain...
%20copy_459x306.jpg "(Megan Banta | The Salt Lake Tribune) Stansbury Island during a flyover of the Great Salt Lake with EcoFlight on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.")
Flyover photos show current state of Great Salt Lake
April 11th 2024 by Megan Banta / Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune joined a flight over the Great Salt Lake on a six-seater plane Tuesday morning. Here’s what we saw. The propeller whirs loudly as local wildlife photographer Mary Anne Karren...
How a tiny bird could trigger a federal response on Great Salt Lake
March 29th 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Here’s why the Wilson’s phalarope is making waves. Hundreds of migrating bird species depend on the imperiled Great Salt Lake for survival each year. A petition has called on the federal government...
A simple change could save the West from drought. You probably won’t like it.
March 13th 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Researcher behind a viral graphic on Colorado River water use explains how changing the demand for different crops can create a more water-resilient West. You may have seen The New York Times graphi...
Mineral companies use 7% of Great Salt Lake’s water. Here’s how a bill would change their business.
February 9th 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
House speaker continues to rail against the largest miner on the lake, claiming the company refuses to compromise. Tensions ran thick Thursday as lawmakers discussed a bill that would reel in minera...
Lawmakers turn to Utah Lake to help rescue Great Salt Lake. Will dredging be part of the solution?
February 1st 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Former governor says the plan will be state led, not influenced by a developer. Lawmakers are looking to Utah Lake to help refill the Great Salt Lake, but they might be dredging up a controversial i...
Lawmakers still think a pipeline will help save the Great Salt Lake
January 24th 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lake commissioner outlines his plan to adapt to the basin’s water shortages. As lawmakers contemplate how to spend billions in taxpayer dollars this year, the Great Salt Lake commissioner made his c...
What will happen when the Great Salt Lake disappears? This video obituary anticipates that not-too-distant day.
January 22nd 2024 by Bethany Baker / Salt Lake Tribune
Imagining a day in the not-too-distant future when Utah will no longer be home to the Great Salt Lake, Bonnie Baxter reads an obituary she penned with Jaimi Butler, her colleague at Westminster Colleg...
Can Utah restore the Great Salt Lake in time for the 2034 Olympics? Here’s what experts say.
January 18th 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The 2002 Winter Games marks the last time the lake’s elevation hovered in the safe zone. The Great Salt Lake remains in a dangerous place, but experts say with a lot of effort, its water can rise to...
Doctors urge Utah lawmakers to take immediate action on Great Salt Lake
January 11th 2024 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Utahns are already choking on dangerous lake dust, their open letter notes. Days before the Utah Legislature is set to convene, doctors have signed a warning about the public health consequences if...
Utah resource managers ask court to sink Great Salt Lake lawsuit
December 21st 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
State points to millions invested and ongoing efforts to rescue its imperiled inland sea, noting litigation “cannot solve every problem.” Environmental groups sued Utah in an effort to save the shri...
Flurry of water reuse claims threatens to take more water from Great Salt Lake
December 21st 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
From meeting the demands of future growth to protecting over-tapped aquifers, cities provide complex and compelling reasons to recycle their wastewater, even if it further imperils Utah’s shrinking in...
Study shines more light on toxins in Great Salt Lake dust
November 16th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Research group claims the lake’s sediment could cause neural disease, but local scientist raises concerns over research methods. Contaminants from toxic algal blooms may be blowing in the Great Salt...
Utah lawmaker wants to pump millions of gallons of groundwater near the Great Salt Lake
November 16th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
A leading politician who called out companies for wanting to use more water in an over-tapped system finds an exception of his own. Rep. Mike Schultz, the Utah House majority leader, has filed two a...
After a record water year, did Utahns’ conservation habits stick?
November 1st 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Runoff filled reservoirs and knocked Utah out of drought status and water use only ticked up slightly. When the Great Salt Lake sunk to record-low elevations in 2021 and 2022, Utah residents rallied...
Salt Lake City wins $1 million for a public art project about the Great Salt Lake
October 19th 2023 by Palak Jayswal / Salt Lake Tribune
The proposal the city submitted to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge is for a project called “Wake: The Great Salt Lake.” Salt Lake City has won a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Phila...
New lithium company wants billions of gallons from Great Salt Lake, but says it will put it all back
September 7th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
A proposed miner claims it will use no evaporation ponds and deplete no water, occupying a significantly smaller footprint than other extractors on the lakebed. The lithium bonanza continues at the...
Groups sue Utah, trying to save Great Salt Lake with the public trust doctrine
September 7th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Plaintiffs want a mandated elevation for the depleted lake in an effort to protect public health and a fragile ecosystem. Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to save the Great Salt Lake as its...
Why do so many inland port projects include Great Salt Lake wetlands?
August 18th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Weber County launches its own industrial port project, right next to the shores of the imperiled lake and the critical habitat it provides. Weber County is the latest local government to create an i...
Mining company responds to concerns about its plans at Great Salt Lake, but lawmakers aren’t happy
August 17th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Following lithium “dust-up,” powerful legislator prepares to slap mineral extractors with unprecedented restrictions, including limits on how much lake water they can use. Compass Minerals has clapp...
Compass Minerals makes big claims about Great Salt Lake lithium but lacks state approvals
August 17th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The already beleaguered lake likely can’t endure the amount of extraction the company wants, expert says, despite claims the process will be “sustainable.” Compass Minerals has made several splashy...
Great Salt Lake’s hidden treasure to be largely left alone
August 10th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Don’t expect shade, camping, trails or easy access. But the Great Salt Lake’s third-largest island is still a gem worth exploring and celebrating. Great Salt Lake • After a few years pondering what...
Great Salt Lake Summit emphasizes one snow-heavy winter won’t be enough
July 19th 2023 by Jordan Miller / Salt Lake Tribune
Activists and experts from across the state gathered Saturday to discuss problems facing the Great Salt Lake after a historic winter. The People’s Great Salt Lake Summit, hosted at Salt Lake City Co...
Thousands of nesting birds have vanished at Great Salt Lake’s Gunnison Island
July 5th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Flocks of pelicans and gulls that once darkened the sky have disappeared, and scientists say land bridges from persistent low water levels are likely to blame. Thousands of American white pelicans f...
Does Utah need (or want) a sixth national park?
June 15th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Utah lawmakers are notoriously resistant to ceding any land to federal control, but supporters say a national park could shine a worldwide spotlight on the Great Salt Lake’s importance. The idea of...
Great Salt Lake boaters return as water rises more than five feet
June 8th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Marinas at the lake’s state parks were high and dry last year, but a historic amount of snowfall has also raised sailors’ spirits. The boats are back and the sailors are stoked. The water at Great...
The first-appointed Great Salt Lake czar heartened by wet winter but says ‘we still have great cause for concern’
May 25th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
New lake coordinator shares thoughts on dust pollution, the role of cows in water shortages and whether it’s time for Utahns to accept living with a smaller lake. The state’s new czar overseeing all...
Great Salt Lake is still blowing dangerous dust
May 19th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The Wasatch Front will continue to get pummeled until the lake reaches a sustainable level. After historic snowfall over the winter, Utahns are breathing a sigh of relief about the Great Salt Lake...
Where is all the floodwater along the Wasatch Front going to end up?
April 20th 2023 by Jacob Scholl / Salt Lake Tribune
Floodwater flowing through northern Utah should likely end up in the same place — the state’s most recognizable landmark. All along the Wasatch, snowmelt is flowing into creeks, reservoirs and — un...
Great Salt Lake is up over 3 feet — but it has a long way to go to healthy
April 20th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
There are signs the ecological wonder has started to recover, but it remains in a precarious place. Utah’s phenomenal, record-breaking winter has already given the Great Salt Lake a boost, but it w...
Here’s how much water golf courses use across Utah
April 10th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
View data about all of the state’s 114 golf courses in an interactive map and spreadsheet. As Utah faces serious issues with drought and water shortages, including a dying Great Salt Lake, lawmakers...
How much water does your golf course use?
April 10th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Here is a spreadsheet with water data for all of Utah's golf courses. Compiled by The Salt Lake Tribune and Great Salt Lake Collaborative. Click here for the spreadsheet.
Utah golf courses say they’re reducing water use. Some can prove it.
April 10th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Golfers say their sport gets a bad rap. Water use data shows some courses conserve better than others. Utahns rallied in recent years to rip out their lawns or let their turf go brown, motivated by...
LDS Church to permanently donate thousands of acre-feet of water to the Great Salt Lake
March 16th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The gift has been months in the making, and represents the first major private sector commitment to saving the imperiled lake. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of the wealthiest...
Farmers are skeptical about participating in water leasing to save the Great Salt Lake. Here’s why.
March 14th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Agriculture is often criticized as the state’s biggest water user, but irrigators face mounting pressure from rapid urban growth. Dan Harris raises hay and Christmas trees on a small farm near the s...
Utah regulators to deny permit for landfill on the shores of Great Salt Lake
February 23rd 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lake advocates and scientists have long sounded the alarm over the massive dump, which has proposed hauling in coal ash and garbage from other states. After a prolonged battle, plans for a controver...
Scientists say thinning forests won’t help the Great Salt Lake. Here’s how they know.
February 13th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
A recent report concludes thinning Utah’s forests “is not guaranteed” to increase the water flowing to the Great Salt Lake, and has the potential to decrease it instead. First came the pipeline to...
Tribes still not consulted as state tries to save Great Salt Lake
February 9th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
State leaders say they want native perspectives included in conversations about the lake, but action to date shows otherwise. Utah leaders have redesigned the state flag to better represent tribal n...
How the LDS Church could prevent its headquarters from becoming a toxic wasteland
February 9th 2023 by Peggy Fletcher Stack and Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Utah’s predominant faith has a huge stake — and could have a huge say — in the Great Salt Lake’s survival. It sounds like a plot from an apocalyptic movie. A beleaguered 19th-century band of spiri...
Gov. Cox orders Great Salt Lake causeway be raised again in effort to stave off ecological collapse
February 4th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Sacrificing the north arm could slow further environmental implosion, but it comes with its own consequences. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order Friday that will once again raise the ca...
Experts say pumping ocean water to the Great Salt Lake would cost a lot but help very little
February 3rd 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
It would also increase pollution and require a lot of electricity. As recently as last year, Utah lawmakers were floating the idea of piping Pacific Ocean water to save the Great Salt Lake, although...
Are trees ‘the enemy?’ “Yellow Cake” legislators claim logging can save Great Salt Lake, but scientists are doubtful.
January 20th 2023 by Brian Maffly / Salt Lake Tribune
Do trees suck? You bet they do, and it’s time we do something about it, according to a group of conservative Utah lawmakers. Claiming “overgrown” forests are guzzling Utah’s water resources dry, rur...
Scientists sounded the alarm about the Great Salt Lake. Are lawmakers listening?
January 18th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Utah leaders gear up to spend big on solutions for the shrinking lake, but will it be enough? This year’s legislative session will be critical in bringing the Great Salt Lake back from the brink, an...
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Great Salt Lake set to vanish in 5 years, experts warn Utah lawmakers
January 5th 2023 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Utah has months to reverse the lake’s decline before it’s too late, according to a dire report. Days before Utah lawmakers are set to convene, dozens of researchers are calling on them to take bold...
Dear Legislature: Here’s what you can do in 2023 to save the Great Salt Lake
January 3rd 2023 by Sofia Jeremias and Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Para leer este artículo en español, haz clic aquí. Advocates, farmers and lobbyists serve up solutions for rescuing the hemorrhaging body of water. Will Utah save the Great Salt Lake before it’s t...
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Utah DEQ denies US Magnesium’s request to extend water canals deeper into the Great Salt Lake
December 29th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
State regulators determined the company did not provide enough information about the potential impacts on water quality. A controversial project meant to allow a minerals extraction company to conti...
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Will December’s big storms make a difference for the Great Salt Lake?
December 23rd 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The state’s snowpack is off to a good start, but the lake will need a lot more to recover. After several disappointing years in a row, this winter’s snowpack to date has a lot of Utahns feeling opti...
One crop uses more than half of Utah’s water. Here’s why.
December 15th 2022 by Brian Maffly and Mark Eddington / Salt Lake Tribune
Hay and alfalfa feed beef and dairy production and support rural life, but together, they soak up two-thirds of Utah’s water. Mount Carmel — When the water is running through the ditches connect...
‘We must do whatever is necessary’: Mitt Romney’s bill funding study of Great Salt Lake sails through Senate
December 8th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Shriveling salty lakes across the Great Basin, including the Great Salt Lake, will receive millions to aid scientific assessment. A bipartisan bill meant to address declining saline lakes in the Wes...
The Great Salt Lake’s most important source of water has a troubled history. But there is hope its future may be better.
December 6th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The Northwestern Shoshone are prioritizing restoration of Battle Creek, which runs through one of the bloodiest sites in U.S. history. Preston, Idaho • Steam rose from a sacred hot spring where it m...
Gov. Cox put new water rights on hold. Will it actually help the Great Salt Lake?
November 28th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The state engineer receives a deluge of applications for new diversions each year, but it appears many of them would be exempt from the pause. Gov. Spencer Cox announced this month that all new wate...
The Great Salt Lake’s ecological collapse has begun
November 20th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Scientists note changes to the food web they’ve never seen before, which could lead to endangered species listings and other disasters at Utah’s famous natural wonder. As the Great Salt Lake continu...
Another wild idea to save the Great Salt Lake: Pumping groundwater with nuclear energy
October 28th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
A state representative has a lofty plan to save Utah’s imperiled lake and drought-stricken communities, but first, he wants around $50 million to explore how much salty water is underground. Since l...
‘Just add water and stir’ — Owens Lake shows Utahns that even when salty lakes hit their lowest point, they can recover
October 12th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lone Pine, Calif. — Those from afar who hear the story of Owens Lake getting drained dry might consider it a tragedy. But those who have spent years living and working on its dusty shores see it as so...
To balance its competing needs, is it time to follow Mono Lake's lead and mandate an elevation for the Great Salt Lake?
October 12th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
In September 1981, a group of 11 cyclists collected vials of water from a Los Angeles utility’s decorative reflecting pool and biked 350 miles north to Mono Lake’s shore. “They returned the water to...
When it comes to saving terminal lakes like the Great Salt Lake, understanding every drop in the watershed matters
October 11th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lee Vining, Calif. • Geoff McQuilkin trekked toward a dam on Lee Vining Creek, fish leaping to catch bugs at a nearby pond, the peaks of Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness looming i...
Five things to know about Mono Lake
October 11th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Like the Great Salt Lake, Mono Lake is too salty for fish, which means brine shrimp thrive. But the lakes have different species of shrimp: Artemia franciscana live in the Great Salt Lake and Artemia...
The public trust doctrine prevented Mono Lake from drying up. Could it be used to save the Great Salt Lake?
October 11th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lee Vining, Calif. • Amid climate change and growing water demands that are withering terminal lakes away, Mono Lake carries a rare hopeful message. Owens Lake was one of the first cautionary tales...
The people living near Owens Lake endured decades of toxic dust. Here’s why they stayed.
October 10th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lone Pine, Calif. • The area around Owens Lake holds a certain kind of magnetism. There’s the spectacular Sierra Nevada to the west, crowned by Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the continental Uni...
What Utah can learn from the monumental effort to reduce dust at Owens Lake
October 10th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Keeping emissions at bay on the Great Salt Lake’s exposed bed will take a mosaic of solutions. And it will be very, very expensive. Owens Dry Lakebed, Calif. • The dust is kicking up on the Great Sa...
The Great Salt Lake isn’t just for the birds — it’s part of a water network that ties Utah to the rest of the West and the world
October 9th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
This Great Salt Lake Collaborative story is part of day one of our series, “At water’s edge: Searching for solutions at the Great Salt Lake’s sister lakes across the Great Basin.” The in-depth project...
Xeriscaping? Charging higher fees? See what your city is doing to save water.
September 28th 2022 by Alixel Cabrera and Blake Apgar / Salt Lake Tribune
Cities across the Salt Lake Valley are saving this precious resource by easing landscape rules, providing incentives and improving fixtures. During a record-setting sweltering August, water consumpt...
Great Salt Lake managers raise causeway berm in effort to stave off rising salinity
September 23rd 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
High concentrations of salty water are already taking a toll on the lake’s brine shrimp, which could have ripple effects on migrating birds and local industry. The Great Salt Lake is so dry, and its...
New threat to Great Salt Lake? Mineral company wants to extend its canals.
September 7th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Environmentalists worry that siphoning off more water is exactly what the shrinking lake doesn’t need. The Great Salt Lake is so low that one of its largest lake-based businesses, US Magnesium, is u...
Utah youths hold ‘die-in’ for Great Salt Lake, challenge elected leaders to take bolder action
September 2nd 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Despite persistent bugs, unseasonable heat and the formidable challenge presented by a lake that has been receding most of their lives, students gathered Saturday to raise awareness about the Great Sa...
Here’s how the Great Saltair became a relic
August 22nd 2022 by Palak Jayswal / Salt Lake Tribune
The site of the old Saltair resort — actually, three of them — can give a visitor the feeling that something is haunting them. The historical sites are somewhat reminiscent of a ghost town, and the...
U.S. Senate approves $10 million to study Great Salt Lake
July 28th 2022 by Emily Anderson Stern / Salt Lake Tribune
“We must to be willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure we preserve this iconic body of water,” members of Utah’s congressional delegation said. A bill proposed by members of Utah’s congress...
Lawn gone: ‘Localscaping’ may save water, but can it rescue the Great Salt Lake?
July 26th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
The idea is catching on in cities as Utahns shift their thinking about landscaping. The trick is ensuring enough water trickles downstream.
GSL Collaborative puts Gov. Spencer Cox on the record: Utah got 'lacksidasical' about water, but he's still optimistic
July 25th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
From landmark reforms to state water laws to big investments in infrastructure, he believes it’s not too late for the Great Salt Lake. Utahns’ water consumption habits have drawn national scrutiny i...
See an up-close view of Great Salt Lake’s shrinking shoreline — from Spiral Jetty to the state park marina
July 19th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Kayakers capture water levels so low in early June that two bays were impossible to navigate as the lake continues to shrivel. People from around the world can now get an up-close view of the Great...
With the Great Salt Lake in peril, are golf courses a luxury Utah can no longer afford?
July 15th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Yes, they devour millions of gallons of water, recreation managers concede, but they also bring environmental, wildlife and quality-of-life benefits. Editor’s note • This story first published on Ju...
Yes, data centers use a lot of water. But a Utah company shows it doesn’t have to be that way.
July 11th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Since computers are here to stay, efforts are underway to reduce the millions of gallons these facilities consume every year. Listen to reporter Leia Larson talk about this story with KUER or read t...
Great Salt Lake hits another new low — ‘this is not the type of record we like to break’
July 5th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
And the drop is expected to stretch into the fall. For the second time in less than a year, the Great Salt Lake has sunk to a record-breaking low elevation. The news came as little surprise to wat...
Utah will soon have water judges. This is what they’ll do and why it matters.
June 29th 2022 by Saige Miller / Salt Lake Tribune
For the last 25 years that Scott Martin has been practicing water law in Utah, the concept of appointing water judges or creating a water court has been a topic of conversation many times. “And it’s...
Spiral Jetty: A barometer for the Great Salt Lake, or a work of art unto itself?
June 26th 2022 by Palak Jayswal / Salt Lake Tribune
Like any work of art, the value of Spiral Jetty — easily the most recognizable artwork in Utah — depends on how you look at it. Jaimi Butler, the coordinator of Westminster College’s Great Salt Lake...
A solution to Great Salt Lake’s algal blooms? Pipe wastewater to where the brine shrimp graze.
June 4th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
A Utah sewer district is saving ratepayers money, cleaning Farmington Bay and providing improved flows to the shrinking lake. As summer approaches, add toxic algal blooms to the long list of the Gre...
N. Utah seeing its worst dust in a decade. Why the drying Great Salt Lake isn’t to blame — yet.
May 13th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Recent rains have tamped down the exposed lakebed, but drier, warmer weather is going to change that. Recent storms kicked up dust across the Wasatch Front, creating hazy skies and unhealthy conditi...
Big dam, small dam, no dam — What’s the right water answer for this growing Utah community?
May 12th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
In Cache Valley, district manager sees smaller-scale projects as a solution to supply concerns and securing more water for the Great Salt Lake. Logan Canyon • Temple Fork is a beloved hiking area by...
Stifling drought to take its toll on Great Salt Lake, lawns, wildlife and why recent rains won’t change that
May 6th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
State and local leaders are floating all kinds of water restrictions. Parts of Utah saw wet weather in recent days, but it wasn’t enough to dampen the state’s crippling drought. Water managers are...
How the Great Salt Lake soon could be powering your phone, computer and car
April 17th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
Lithium mining also could lead to a greener future and secure more revenue to ensure the lake’s longevity. Chances are, the Great Salt Lake is part of your daily life, even if you don’t live in Utah...
‘Embrace the salt’ — A kayaker’s quest to share up-close views of an ‘epic’ but shriveling Great Salt Lake
April 10th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
For Brian Footen, it will be the biggest and most challenging destination in a project to create Google Street View-style maps of drought-stricken waters and shores across the West. Spiral Jetty • B...
After decades of waiting, Antelope Island State Park visitor center is getting a $13 million makeover
April 9th 2022 by Daedan Olander / Salt Lake Tribune
The renovation and expansion will incorporate research space where scientists can study Great Salt Lake and where visitors can learn about the challenges the landmark is facing. After state official...
‘Very positive change.’ New Utah law will be an important step toward saving the Great Salt Lake.
March 17th 2022 by Saige Miller / Salt Lake Tribune
Under HB33, water right holders can finally lease their water to fill the shrinking lake and other natural lands. This story is part of The Salt Lake Tribune’s ongoing commitment to identify solutio...
Tribune joins 17 Utah organizations to elevate solutions for Great Salt Lake
March 7th 2022 by Lauren Gustus / Salt Lake Tribune
The lake is at its lowest level on record and today holds half its historic average Over the past year, Salt Lake Tribune reporters and photographers have written about the economic and environmenta...
Reinvent Utah farms to save our soil and Great Salt Lake?
February 25th 2022 by Luke Peterson / Salt Lake Tribune
A Utah soil conference offered sustainable alternatives to traditional farming This story is part of The Salt Lake Tribune’s ongoing commitment to identify solutions to Utah’s biggest challenges thr...
‘Pray for snow’ — Utah lawmakers tour the vanishing Great Salt Lake from the sky
February 16th 2022 by Leia Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune
“It’s worse than I thought,” says one as legislators vow to take action. About 10 million birds visit the Great Salt Lake every year, and this week, about 90 state lawmakers are going to get a bird’...
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