The Great Salt Lake reached historically low levels last week, for the second year in a row. According to The Utah Department of Natural Resources, lake levels are expected to continue to drop throughout the year, meaning that we’ll continually break records in 2022 (in this case, it’s not something to be proud of.)
It’s not the only salt water lake to decline in recent history. The Great Salt Lake Advisory Council issued a report titled “Consequences of Drying Lakes Around the World”, which details eight salt water lakes worldwide which have, for one reason or another, either diminished or ceased to exist entirely.
I read the report. It’d be great if everyone did. But, we’re all busy, so I’ve summed it up below:
Lake Urmia in Iran shrank from 2,400 square miles to 400 square miles between 1995 and 2013. This has threatened the population of brine shrimp and migratory birds, similar to what is happening with the Great Salt Lake. The population density around Lake Urmia is much smaller than the population surrounding the Great Salt Lake, so all the socioeconomic impacts of the drying lake will be replicated here, but on a much larger scale.
The Aral Sea in central Asia has a watershed of 700,000 square miles, and the population of that watershed grew from 13.3 million in 1950 to over 60 million in 2008. A substantial fishing industry was lost entirely in the 1980s, agricultural outputs have decreased by as much as 50%, and the remaining dust harms vegetation and human health. Like the Aral Sea, the Great Salt Lake is close to surrounding populations, so the similar environmental and socioeconomic impact will be directly felt by any people close by (aka, you and me.)
Lake Poopó in Bolivia most recently dried up in 2015, and there are no signs of possible recovery. Astronomical amounts of fish have died, and the lake’s desiccation leaves fish and wildlife vulnerable to catastrophic die-offs. The Great Salt Lake will have similar consequences, but on a much larger scale.
Owens Lake in Inyo County, California has cost taxpayers $2.1 billion in restoration costs. The footprint of the Great Salt Lake is 19 times higher than Owens Lake, and the estimate cost to taxpayers follows the same trajectory.
Salton Sea in southeastern California is the second-largest saline lake in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake. Fish populations have decreased by 95% since 1999. In the adjacent Imperial County, one in five children suffered asthma, and dust is set to increase by 40 to 80 tons per day as water is diverted. Similar trends are happening in Salt Lake City, which has a much larger population than the areas surrounding the Salton Sea.
The Dead Sea, familiar to any Bible-reader, is located on the border of Jordan and Israel. Both the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake provide economic, environmental and social value within their respective surrounding societies. In the absence of reclamation, the decline of the Dead Sea has caused annual lost revenues in the range of $85 to $265 million annually. The loss of the Great Salt Lake is projected to cause similar economic losses within our state.
Bakhetgan Lake was the second largest lake in Iran, before it started to decline. Similar to the Great Salt Lake, it is home to a critical ecological habitat, and its decline threatens the species who live in and around the like, and migratory birds that rely on the lake for their survival. According to the researchers, the water scarcity could stimulate social conflicts and a loss of critical species. As if all species aren’t critical.
Mono Lake is in east central California, and is one of the oldest lakes in North America. It started drying out in 1941 when the local government began diverting four of the lake’s tributary streams to support the growing population of Los Angeles. Decades later, lawsuits forced the State Water Resources Control Board’s to issue the Mono Lake Basin Water Right Decision in 1994. Because of this, the lake has been in recovery for 28 years. As a result, dust storms have reduced, the tourism industry has not completely died, and the ecological impacts have not lead to the dying off of animals who need the lake to survive. Perhaps Mono Lake provides a blueprint of what may need to happen in Salt Lake City in order to preserve the Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake is drying, which is another way of saying that our corner of the world is in dire straits. We don’t have much time to reverse the trend, if we want to save ourselves from serious economic, social, and environmental consequences. It’s not an empty threat - it’s been happening all over the world. It’s past time for us to start paying attention.
For years, I have avoided reading about the decline of the Great Salt Lake. I’ve also avoided learning too much about climate change, or environmental impact, or changes in our lives due to these factors. There’s no good excuse for this avoidance, of course. It was all based in my own fear.
The anxiety I’ve felt for years surrounding climate change has been fed by my insistence on sticking my head in the sand and pretending it wasn’t happening, or telling myself that the difference I can make is marginal, so why even try? I’ve gone through cycles of ignorance, binge-learning, intense anxiety, and then a retreat back into ignorance again.
Maybe you’ve felt the same way. But, if you live in Utah, or you love somebody who does, we’ve run out of time for that cycle to play itself out again. I’ve decided to pull my head out of the sand. It’s scary - terrifying, even - to face the facts, but nothing will change unless we see things clearly.
United States Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) issued a powerful statement earlier this year. He wrote the following:
“When entire countries fail to confront serious challenges, it doesn’t end well. During the past half century, we Americans have lived in a very forgiving time, and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses had limited consequences. The climate was stable, our economy dwarfed the competition, democracy was on the rise, and our military strength made the U.S. the sole global hyperpower. Today, every one of those things has changed. If we continue to ignore the real threats we face, America will inevitably suffer serious consequences.”
He then issued a challenge, and it’s one that I have decided to take seriously. He asked us, you and I, ordinary Americans who often feel helpless, alone, or overwhelmed, to do something about it. Leadership must come from us. We must “rise above ourselves - above our grievances and resentments—and grasp the mantle of leadership our country so badly needs.”
So, let’s do just that, and let’s start close to home.
We can sign petitions.
We can use less water.
We can get involved in advocacy - attend meetings or protests or rallies.
We can write to our representatives.
We can read as much as we can and share what we read with others.
We can use our voice, our influence, and our position to make a difference.
That’s what I’m going to do here, and I hope we can continue the fight for this place that we love. It’s not too late, but the clock is ticking. It’s time to join the fight, or if you’re better than me and you’re already involved, continue it with everything we’ve got.