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Southwest Salt Lake County, Utah

Great Salt Lake Advisory Council Water Conservation Toolbox

SWCA collaborated with the GSLAC and major water districts to equip municipalities and local governments with the necessary tools for implementing the water conservation measures.

Details

Completion

2024

Client

Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands

Description

SWCA collaborated with the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council (GSLAC) and major water districts to equip municipalities and local governments with the necessary tools for implementing the water conservation measures required to sustain life with current water supplies, thereby helping to maintain the natural flow to the GSL. The lake is an essential and distinctive natural asset currently experiencing considerable difficulties, such as decreasing water levels.

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Great Salt Lake Water Conservation Toolbox: Equipping Utah’s Cities with Strategies to Conserve Water

As one of the nation’s driest and fastest-growing states, Utah is currently facing significant challenges with a depleting Great Salt Lake (GSL). The GSL is the largest waterbody in the state and a vital ecological and economic resource for Utah. It provides habitat for a wide array of local and migratory bird species while also contributing at least $1.5 billion to the local economy from industrial and recreational activity. Beyond these ecological and economic benefits, the lake plays a critical role in generating precipitation over the GSL basin.

As human development and water use continue to impact the watershed, declining lake levels threaten precipitation patterns, wildlife habitats, and the state’s economy. To protect the lake and support population growth within the existing water supply, widespread water conservation is essential. Efforts to conserve water and safeguard the GSL have gained significant public support since the lake reached its historic low level in 2022. This has resulted in legislative progress to incentivize water conservation and develop strategies to deliver more water to the lake.

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