In the News
-
NBC News Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023
With Great Salt Lake at rock bottom, lawmakers aim for rescue
For the Great Salt Lake, it might be now or never.
Utah lawmakers have mounted emergency rescue plans for the Great Salt Lake, which is on the verge of ecological collapse. Before the legislative session opened on Tuesday, scientists and conservationists issued the most dire warning yet over the lake’s future, saying “the lake as we know it is on track to disappear in five years” if losses continue at their recent pace.
The lake is shrinking, but even more urgent is its changing salinity. The lake has grown so salty that creatures at the base of its food web, such as brine flies, which have adapted to survive extreme conditions, are disappearing.
Still, the recipe is right for a comeback as state lawmakers begin their 45-day legislative session.