The Great Salt Lake has a bad reputation among Utahns. People say it’s ugly, that it smells and that there are too many bugs.
What they don’t realize is that their perception is entirely inaccurate. The lake is one of Utah’s defining features, and it’s a completely different landscape than people picture in their minds.
According to atmospheric sciences professor Kevin Perry, the lake is only buggy for about two months out of the year: April and May. Over a two-year time span, Perry made about 170 trips to the lake to conduct research, and only on 10 of those occasions did he have to wear a bug hat.
During his research Perry was mesmerized by the lake and its varied landscapes with petroglyph caves, rocky outcrops and lush oases. He was equally startled when he started to notice the lake’s decline.
Dr. Bonnie Baxter, a professor at Westminster College and director of the Great Salt Lake Institute, also feels the urgency as the lake’s waterline continues to recede. Her research on the Great Salt Lake focused on the microbes that provide sustenance for the entire ecosystem.
Her fascination with microbes’ viability in extreme environments led her to researching the Great Salt Lake and it was during this research that she realized how close the ecosystem is to the brink of collapse.
“The state of the lake is urgent, and we need to get more water,” Baxter said of the lake’s condition.
This photo was captured from a high vantage point. The lake bed is extremely exposed and the waterline has receded enough to transform this area into what feels like a small desert. | By Courtland Getz
Her sense of urgency comes not only from the exigence with which action needs to be taken, but from her newfound love for the lake. Baxter said that the lake has transformed her both as a person and as a scientist.
Assistant professor Dr. McKenzie Skiles, too, feels a certain fondness for the lake and recognizes a sense of urgency in saving it due to her research on dust’s effects on snowmelt. She studies the effects of dust on snowpack and has focused her research on the Wasatch and Great Salt Lake.
She found that the lake’s declining water levels has exposed layers of dust that get blown onto snowpack in the Wasatch mountains. This causes snow to melt more quickly, yielding less runoff and a shorter snow season.
“And so I would say, if we’re looking for ways to address this dust on snow issue that we see, I mean, ensuring that the dry lake bed isn’t a dust source seems like pretty low hanging fruit,” Dr. Skiles said.
Lower levels of precipitation will become normal with climate change, and combined with snowpack that melts earlier, the outdoor recreation field will start to change. The winter sports season will likely become shorter and less fruitful for athletes.
One of Utah’s prime draws is its snow. People come here from all over the world to ski and slowly, climate change and smaller snowpacks are reshaping the future of outdoor recreation in Utah.
Pictured here is a closeup of the barren lake bed from the first photo. The waterline wasn’t even visible from where this photo was taken. The sand is riddled with animal tracks and human footprints, as well as small birds digging in the sand. | By Courtland Getz
This dust also worsens our air quality. The wind whips the dust up from the lake bed and carries it across the valley. We’re learning that there are toxic particles in the dust, too, so down the line that could cause even bigger problems in the public health sphere in Utah.
“We’re looking at, you know, probably the worst air quality that this nation has ever seen. And we don’t want to go there,” Dr. Baxter said.
Not only will the air quality become exponentially worse with the loss of the Great Salt Lake, one of Utah’s most important ecosystems will disappear. The lake is home to various species, including coyotes, cougars, and birds.
This photo was captured along the side of the lake about a half mile down the road into Antelope Island State Park. There were birds along the shore on both sides of the road. | By Courtland Getz
It’s also an important stop for migratory birds, with around 10 million birds congregating at the lake during their migration. If the lake is gone, the birds will be forced to stop elsewhere and their numbers may dwindle.
According to Kevin Perry, the most effective means to save the lake are legislation and getting people to visit the lake and experience it for themselves. Dr. Baxter echoed his sentiments.
“The large majority of people who say they don’t like the lake, they have never been there. And that is a lesson in itself,” she said, “because when I take people to the lake, or when people go to the lake multiple times, they have this appreciation.”
Drs. Baxter, Perry and Skiles all advocated for personal experiences at the lake, and they all mentioned that legislation is key.
“So this problem is not going to go away by any means. And so it’s going to take policy changes to protect the lake and the easiest way to do that is just to do a minimum lake level,” Dr. Skiles said.
This year’s legislative session was especially productive for advocates of the Great Salt Lake. Legislators passed various laws regarding water rights that will help conserve water and direct more of it to the lake.
The good news is that hope is not lost. The lake isn’t yet gone, but it needs people to care about it enough to take action.
“There’s a reason for each one of us to care. And so choose your reason and care, because it’s an urgent situation and we need everybody rowing in the same direction,” Dr. Baxter implored.
