Great Salt Lake set to vanish in 5 years, experts warn Utah lawmakers

[News Junkie]

Days before Utah lawmakers are set to convene, dozens of researchers are calling on them to take bold action and save the Great Salt Lake before it withers away.

An emergency briefing released Thursday warns of “unprecedented” danger to Utah’s public health, environment and economy if the lake does not receive a “dramatic” influx of water by 2024. The lake has already hit record-low elevations for two years in a row, exposing 60% of its lakebed which continues to dry into a toxic source of dust pollution. Excessive water use in the Great Salt Lake’s basin means the lake is set to disappear in the next five years, the report warns.

“The decisions we make in the coming few months will affect our community and ecosystems across the hemisphere,” said Ben Abbott, a professor of Aquatic Ecology at Brigham Young University and lead author of the briefing, in a news release.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/01/05/great-salt-lake-set-vanish-5/

Saw the piece on Sunday Morning and did some googling. Scary stuff.

[NickB79]

1. Despite it's salinity, it's a vital bird sanctuary

Migrating birds feed on the brine flies and brine shrimp that live in the salty water.

Losing it will starve millions of waterfowl to death.

[Native]

2. Excellent article. And have you noticed that just about every article about the damage/

destruction/devastation that has occurred as a result of climate change includes a statement similar to the one in this article - that everything seems to be happening faster or "much more than models predicted"?

[c-rational]

3. This is an example of where true leadership is needed, however our reThuglican counterparts have

undermined beliefs in government, and confused freedom with no regulations. Welcome to a dystopian future.

[Chainfire]

4. Excessive water use in the Great Salt Lake's basin...

There you go...They have been spending water on credit, now the bank is coming knocking. They will have to rename the capitol Salt Flat City. In the end it will be a question as to whether greed or aggression will be our species downfall.

[keithbvadu2]

5. If it requires hardship, regulations, legislation, cooperation; hello parking lot.

If it requires hardship, regulations, legislation, cooperation; hello parking lot.

Satire, sarcasm, irony, doubt???

History?

[hardluck]

6. Owens Valley level air pollution

Next to a major metropolitan area. That does not bode well.

[Buckeyeblue]

7. Not to get partisan here (but I'm going to)

This is just another example of how poorly Republicans govern and lead. This crisis has been in the works for years and no one was willing to step up and do anything about it. Out of 104 state representatives and senators only 19 are Democratic. Democrats can do nothing to help lead on this. Republicans have to step up but they won't fully because to do so would be akin to admitting that climate change is real.

The truth is that this region cannot support a city the size of SLC. It's too much. And there shouldn't be farming. This is desert. Let the people who live where there is water do the farming.

I would say the same about Phoenix. It's too big a city to sustain. I get that people don't like winter. But people have to realize that they need to live where natural resources exist to support it.

[VGNonly]

8. SLC water supply

will become severely limited in the coming years. About 60% of it comes from small watercourses in the Wasatch mountains, the other 40% is groundwater. When Salt Lake dries up, the "lake effect" will cease.