Debunking the Great Salt Lake myths that keep resurfacing as it sits on the brink of another record low
The Great Salt Lake is grabbing national attention as it hovers barely a foot above its record low. … For about a century, water law was seen as sacrosanct in the West. Trying to change it meant lawmakers put their political careers on the line. In Utah, that changed in 2021 when the Legislature recognized the lake was on the verge of collapse. The state overhauled concepts like “use it or lose it” to allow water right holders to keep their water in-stream to benefit the environment. They created a water leasing program. They doled out hundreds of millions of dollars to improve conservation and repair the lake’s ecosystem. … Farmers and large water rights holders need to trust that the new system will work, though, and many feel like their way of life is under attack.
Other Great Salt Lake news:
- FOX13 (Salt Lake City): Great Salt Lake’s health tied to national security, legislative commission is told
- Utah News Dispatch: Utah’s strategy to fight invasive reeds at the Great Salt Lake? Play the long game and look upstream
- The Salt Lake Tribune: Could the Sugar House Park pond be sacrificed for the Great Salt Lake? It’s on the table.
