Water watchdog releases plan to shore up the Great Salt Lake
The Utah Rivers Council has released a 12-part plan to bring the struggling Great Salt Lake back to a sustainable elevation. The nonprofit unveiled the 4,200 Project Wednesday, which outlines several policy changes to bring the lake to an elevation of 4,200 feet above sea level. This “Goldilocks zone” means the lake’s dust hot spots are covered. Islands become islands again. Salinity levels are optimal for supporting brine shrimp, brine flies, and the millions of migrating shorebirds and waterfowl that depend on them. But it’s going to take a lot of time and water to get there — the Great Salt Lake currently sits at 4,192 feet in the south half and 4,189 feet in the north. The Great Salt Lake’s current record low, set last November, is 4,188.5 feet.