Great Salt Lake

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Lawsuit: Utah Is Letting the Great Salt Lake Die

It's shrinking rapidly, threatening humans and wildlife alike, environmental groups say

(Newser) - Utah state government officials have pushed the Great Salt Lake to the brink of an ecological collapse by allowing upstream water to be diverted away from the lake and primarily to farmers growing alfalfa, hay, and other crops for decades, says a new lawsuit filed Wednesday by a coalition of...

Shrinking Great Salt Lake Is Making Utah Dustier
Utah's Famously White Snow
Is Getting Dusty
New Study
Jul 9, 2023 3:45 PM CDT

Utah's Famously White Snow Is Getting Dusty

Scientists say the shrinking Great Salt Lake is a big factor, with serious implications

(Newser) - Dust blowing off the dry areas around the receding Great Salt Lake is coating the famously ski-friendly pure white snow on nearby slopes and causing early melting—a big problem with wide-ranging effects for Utah, reports Smithsonian Magazine . In a study published by Environmental Research Letters , University of Utah hydrologist...

Snowpack Delivers Rare Good News to Great Salt Lake

It's 'miraculous,' says one researcher, though long-term prospects are still dicey

(Newser) - The news about the Great Salt Lake in January was about as grim as it gets: Scientists warned the saltwater lake in Utah might disappear altogether in five years, thanks to a combination of drought and heavy water usage. Now, the author of that same dire warning sounds a little...

Bad News on Great Salt Lake: 'This Is a Crisis'

Researchers say Utah lake could vanish in 5 years if excess water consumption isn't remedied

(Newser) - Since 2020, Utah's Great Salt Lake has lost about 40 billion gallons of water per year, a consequence of the West's megadrought and too much water consumption. Researchers say that stat shouldn't be ignored: If remedies aren't made, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere...

Great Salt Lake Sees a Historic Low, Again

Water level drops to 4,190.1 feet, after it matched 170-year-old record just this past October

(Newser) - The Great Salt Lake has hit a new historic low for the second time in less than a year as the ongoing megadrought worsened by climate change continues to shrink the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. The Utah Department of Natural Resources said Monday in a news release...

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