Utah lawmakers have put emergency preparations in place to save the Great Salt Lake, which is on the edge of ecological catastrophe.
Before the parliamentary session began on Tuesday, scientists and activists issued their most serious warning yet about the lake's future, claiming that "the lake as we know it is on course to disappear in five years" if current losses continue.
Diminishing waters in the Great Salt Lake
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The lake is diminishing, but the shifting salinity is more pressing. The lake has become so saline that species at the bottom of its food chain, such as brine flies, that have adapted to tolerate harsh circumstances, are becoming extinct, as per NBC News.
Still, the ingredients are in place for a return as state legislators begin their 45-day legislative term.
"On the lake itself, we're at a crossroads," said Joel Ferry, executive director of the state department of natural resources.
"Are we ready to accept that the lake will not produce anything? That we'll have dust storms and an ecology that isn't prospering and is collapsing? We are unwilling to do so as a nation and a state."
State coffers are brimming, with forecasts predicting billions in unexpected state income on top of a $1.3 billion budget surplus.
Lawmakers have stated that they are prepared to open the financial floodgates.
The lake has dominated public and media attention, putting pressure on politicians to act.
And the mountains above Salt Lake City are gleaming with a snowfall that's about double its normal size for this time of year, promising a robust flow of spring runoff to the rivers that feed the Great Salt Lake.
Decisions and investments made during the legislative session could steer the lake in a new direction, buy time to restore it, and ultimately determine its fate, according to state political leaders.
Since pioneers first settled the Salt Lake Valley, the volume of water in the Great Salt Lake has decreased by more than two-thirds.
Much of the lake's surface is now visible. Water levels reached an all-time low this September.
Photographs of deserted marinas and the lake's crumbling crust frequently depict the lake's deterioration.
But maybe the most alarming indication lurks beneath the surface of the remaining water.
The salinity of the lake has grown rapidly in recent years, approaching deadly levels for the organisms at the bottom of its food web.
Brine shrimp are an important feeding source for aquaculture. Low water levels also endanger other economic essentials.
The lake's depletion prompted the U.S. Magnesium, the country's largest producer of magnesium, will request to enlarge canals used to take in and evaporate lake brine in order to mine the metal.
Late last year, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality refused its application.
Meanwhile, hazardous dust from the lake's parched surface, which includes arsenic and other heavy metals, sweeps into nearby settlements, endangering more than 2 million inhabitants in an area already battling with poor air quality.
In recent years, state officials have become aware of the lake's problem: that upstream water consumption strangles the terminal lake.
The rivers and streams that feed The Great Salt Lake are overallocated, which means that farmers and other water users have collective rights to more water than what normally flows through each year.
The amount of water that reaches the lake is insufficient, especially during a drought.
The water industry is critical to both public health and the economy.
Water utilities provide a consistent supply of clean water to people and ecosystems, as well as significantly contribute to the resilience of many other sectors, including agriculture, electricity, and industry, as per NOAA NIDIS.
During drought years, many places rely more heavily on groundwater.
Groundwater supplies more than 40% of the water utilized in agricultural and home water sources in the United States.
Increased pumping during droughts can diminish future supply availability, but initiatives to refill depleted subterranean aquifers can help improve drought resilience.
The water utility industry aims to respond to water supply risks, endure the effects of drought, and recover swiftly when drought occurs.
Drought and water scarcity planning is not just a best management practice for water suppliers; it is also becoming a mandate in an increasing number of states and water management districts.
A water shortage plan helps a water supplier to identify risks and decrease a community's vulnerability to water shortage consequences, as well as to create priorities that will provide water for public health and safety while minimizing impacts on economic activity and environmental resources.
Long-term drought resilience measures should also take into account expected climatic conditions and include planning to forecast demand and develop supply options for the foreseeable future.
Drought can jeopardize both the amount and quality of water given to the public by utilities.
As a result, early warning systems are critical for the water utility industry in enhancing its drought resistance.
The following materials are categorized according to the essential components of a drought early warning system.
Drought monitoring and observation, drought preparation & planning; drought prediction and forecasting, contact with the general public and impacted sectors; and Interdisciplinary and applied research on drought-affected sectors' concerns.
