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Opinion: Pipe Ocean Water to the Great Salt Lake? Tread Carefully with Big Ideas

/in , /by /Deseret Newsby Jay Evensen

‘’We think Utah will now be in control of its destiny.’’

That’s what Utah Gov. Norm Bangerter said in 1987, as he turned on the first of three pumps designed to drain the Great Salt Lake and save the Wasatch Front from flooding.

I’m not being overly critical of the late governor, who I covered as a reporter and still respect immensely. He had little choice. The state had just paid $60 million for a west-desert pumping project. He had to put a good face on it.

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Utah’s Great Salt Lake Hits New Historic Low Amid Drought in Western US

/in , , /by /The Guardian

The Great Salt Lake has hit a new historic low for the second time in less than a year, a dire milestone as the US west continues to weather a historic mega-drought.

The Utah department of natural resources said in a news release on Monday that the Great Salt Lake dipped over the weekend to 4,190.1ft (1,277.1 meters).

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More Reservoirs May Run Dry and the Great Salt Lake Will Continue to Decline, State Officials Warn

/in , , /by /FOX 13 Salt Lake Cityby Ben Winslow

More reservoirs across Utah may run dry and the Great Salt Lake will continue to decline, state officials warned lawmakers on Wednesday.

During a briefing before the Utah State Legislature’s Natural Resources Interim Committee, lawmakers were told that 99% of Utah remains in severe or extreme drought. That’s actually an improvement over last year, when a huge chunk of the state was in “exceptional” drought — the worst category.

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Concern Over Utah’s Drought High as Snowpack Diminishes During Dry Spell

/in , /by /KSLby Amy Joi O'Donoghue

A new poll shows an overwhelming majority of Utah residents are concerned about the drought and a mostly dry January isn’t doing much to ease those worries.

The Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics survey tapped 815 registered voters from Jan. 20 to Jan. 28, finding 82% of respondents are concerned over current drought conditions in Utah in contrast to 17% who said they are not worried. Another 1% said they didn’t know.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.43 percentage points.

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In a Drying West, Utah Governor Proposes Major Water Investments

/in , , /by /The Hillby Reid Wilson

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) unveiled his $25 billion budget proposal last month near what was once the shore of the Great Salt Lake. But instead of waves lapping behind him, the waterline was barely visible in the distance.

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Great Salt Lake Shrinking More than a Foot Annually

/in , , /by /E&E News

Utah’s Great Salt Lake is shrinking every year, but experts are implementing measures to slow the water loss, a new report said. The Great Salt Lake Advisory Council says the water depth has dropped about 11 feet over the past 10 years, KSTU-TV reported Sunday. “It will continue to decrease at about the same amount over the next couple of decades if more is not done to bring water to the lake,” Great Salt Lake coordinator Laura Vernon said. The lake is crucial to the region’s recreation, migratory birds and billion dollar economy.

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