5A: Great Salt Lake Strike Team expert collaboration
Anna McEntire | Chapter Five: Great Salt Lake
TAKEAWAY
The Strike Team's Mission
A new collaborative team is providing urgent research support and synthesis to inform Utah’s strategies to improve watershed management and increase water levels of the Great Salt Lake.
Although the total water in those watersheds is not declining, the amount of water reaching the lake is.
In August 2022, Utah State University, the University of Utah, and the Utah Department of Natural Resources convened a “Great Salt Lake Strike Team,” a model partnership to provide timely, high quality, and relevant data and research to help decision-makers make informed decisions about Great Salt Lake. The 20-person team is designed to serve as a primary point of contact for decision-makers to tap into the expertise of Utah’s research universities.
Key Findings and Water Trends
Over fall 2022, the team developed several key insights and deliverables critical to understanding the lake. Figure 5A.1 shows the current level of Great Salt Lake in context with long-term trends. After a peak in 1987, there is clear downward trend in lake elevation. Nearly half of available water for the Great Salt Lake originates in the Bear River Basin, with the Jordan River, Weber River, and West Desert providing the balance. Although the total water in those watersheds is not declining, the amount of water reaching the lake is. In fact, 23 of the past 30 years have resulted in net water loss for Great Salt Lake.
Human Impact and Climate Data
Figure 5A.2 shows that total human water depletions have been variable in the past 30 years, but the trend suggests water use has remained relatively constant, with agriculture being the largest user of water. In Figure 5A.3 and 5A.4 of northern Utah temperature and precipitation trends, there is a clear upward trend of air temperature over the past 40 years, but no consistent trend in precipitation.
Future Deliverables and Summits
The team shared these findings at the fall Great Salt Lake Summit, hosted by Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson. In January, the team will additionally share calculations on how much water Great Salt Lake will need to stabilize or to increase elevation, as well as an expert policy assessment on key efforts being considered to bring more water to the lake.
