Devasting Changes in the Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake is the largest

saline lake in the Western Hemisphere. This lake is a big part of Utah and is essential for the

community. Unfortunately, the lake has been drying up for many years and is at risk of

completely drying up in some years to come.

Terry Tempest Williams is an American writer,

educator, conservationist, and activist. She was

born in 1955, in Corona California, and graduated

from the University of Utah with a Master of

Science degree in environmental education in 1984.

She has received the Guggenheim Fellowship for

Creative Arts, US & Canada, and the Lannan

Literary Award for Nonfiction.

 Terry lives in Utah and grew up near the

Great Salt Lake. In March of 2023, she

wrote an article called, “I Am Haunted

by What I Have Seen at Great Salt Lake”

which describes the changes she has

noticed in the Lake and how it has and

will affect her. “I have known the Great

Salt Lake in flood and now in drought,

between her highest level, at 4,211.8 feet

in 1987, and her lowest, at 4,188.5 feet in

2022.” (Williams, 2023).

The Great Salt Lake continues to

dry up due to climate change. “As climate

change continues to cause record-breaking

drought, there are no easy solutions.

Saving the Great Salt Lake would require

letting more snowmelt from the mountains

flow to the lake, which means less water for residents and farmers.” The Lake has no outlets, so

it is evaporating from the extensive heat. The climate is getting warmer and warmer, which helps

the lake dry up compared to what the climate used to be like. This has helped shrink the lake's

area by two-thirds (Williams, 2023). If we do not take action soon, the Great Salt Lake is

expected to disappear in 5 years.

 Terry mentions in her article how the lake drying up will

affect her and the wildlife around it. “Already, Great

Salt Lake presents us with a chronicle of death

foretold: the collapse of an entire salt desert

ecosystem of reefs that foster the life cycle of brine

flies and shrimp, which in turn support more than 10

million migrating birds along the Pacific Flyway…”

(Williams, 2023). This would affect so much wildlife, and affect the environment Terry lives in.

It would become chaos. The death of the Great Salt Lake could also become death to those who

live around it. “The lakebed contains high levels of arsenic and as more of it becomes exposed,

windstorms carry that arsenic into the lungs of nearby residents, who make up three-quarters of

Utah’s population.” (Flavelle,2023). This is not only a problem for Terry as a Utah resident but

for every Utah resident. Terry says the state's population is expected to increase to 5.5 million

people by 2060, and the urgency to reserve the lake will only grow. “Utah is my home.”

(Williams, 2023). She could be

forced to leave if the problem is not

resolved. This not only will affect

her personally but all of the

residents that call Utah their home

could be forced to leave.

What can we do as a community to help resolve this issue? One thing is less water usage. Being

aware of how much we are using and doing our best to preserve water. This might look like not

watering yard lawns as often, if at all. Not taking very long showers may seem like not a big

deal, but if everyone were to be more mindful about this it could be beneficial. This is an issue

that all Utah residents should start taking into consideration.

 References

Flavelle, C., & Tarnowski, B. (2023, June 22). As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces an

‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb.’ The New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/climate/salt-lake-city-climate-disaster.html

Williams, T. T., & Sheikh, F. (2023, May 30). Opinion | I Am Haunted by What I Have Seen at

Great Salt Lake. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/opinion/great-salt-

lake-drought-utah-climate-change.html

New analysis says Great Salt Lake can be saved, but not without great effort, and expense.

(2023, February 8). The Salt Lake Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/02/08/new-

analysis-says-great-salt/