A Lake in Crisis: The Reality of Climate Denial

By Shae Barber

4 min read

The United Nations describes climate change as “primarily a water crisis.” And it’s no surprise why. Issues like flooding,  rising oceans, shrinking glaciers, and increased droughts have one thing in common: water.

When you picture the arid deserts of the Western US, water probably isn't the first thing to come to mind. In reality, everything in the region revolves around water or, rather, the lack thereof.

The Great Salt Lake is a window into the dangers of climate change for a region characterized by a lack of water. The Great Salt Lake is a massive saline lake located near Salt Lake City, Utah with a unique ecology that the Utah Department of Natural Resources describes as “rich web of relationships between people, land, water, food and survival.”

Today, that “rich web” is vanishing. The Great Salt Lake is drying up.

In 2023, over 30 scientists released a report warning that the Great Salt Lake could dry up in as little as five years.

Why? What’s happening with the Great Salt Lake is part of a larger trend of global climate change and adverse weather effects. Today, much of the Western US is suffering through a megadrought.  In fact, this is the worst drought the West has seen in at least 1200 years.

Rising global temperatures resulting from human-driven activities are a big factor. Increasing heat means more water evaporates out of soil and lakes. And established rainfall patterns are becoming less reliable.

The effects on Utah are profound. The Great Salt Lake impacts everything from Utah’s economy to human health to ecological diversity. Without it, life in the Salt Lake Valley suffers.

What’s happening with the Great Salt Lake is more than just a Utah problem. It reflects larger issues of water use and climate change across the entire Western US.

Here’s why it matters.

Polluters Profit, People Pay

The Great Salt Lake contributes approximately $1.9 billion to Utah’s economy and creates jobs for nearly 8,000 Utahns each year. That doesn’t even account for the economic impacts of lake effect snow on the ski industry, which contributes another $1.94 billion to the economy and supports almost 26,000 jobs. Industries like brine shrimp harvesting, mineral extraction, and recreation are in danger if the lake dries up.

As the Great Salt Lake dries up, polluters still benefit. Inland ports and refineries encroach on the lakeshore, emitting huge amounts of greenhouse gasses. They not only make the problem worse, they gain from it. And everyone else pays the price.

The Dangers of Dust

The far-reaching impacts of climate change go beyond severe weather. It directly affects human health.

The Great Salt Lake’s lakebed is full of toxic chemicals like heavy metals and arsenic. When those chemicals become airborne, they’re incredibly dangerous for human health. Toxic dust storms from the lakebed’s dust may have long-term effects like asthma and cancer.

It’s not just an environmental issue. It’s a health and environmental justice issue.

Toxic dust storms affect everyone, but they disproportionately affect communities of color and families in low-income neighborhoods living in the direct path of dust storms.

Ecosystem Effects

The Great Salt Lake supports a delicate ecosystem, and is one of the most important wetland habitats in the Western US. Keystone species like brine shrimp and brine flies support millions of migratory birds each year. This ecosystem relies on stable temperatures and salt content. As the lake dries up, salt levels increase, making the lake more and more inhospitable to the species it supports.

This fact became painfully clear by 2022 when water levels in the Great Salt Lake hit a record low, severely stressing the lake ecosystem. Fewer birds flocked to the lake, a grim indicator of its declining health.

Fortunately, the following two years brought unprecedented levels of snowfall. While the record snow postponed an ecological collapse, it also brought a new danger: Utah politicians used it as an excuse to ignore the realities of climate change.

When the ecosystem suffers, so do we. The lake’s collapse isn’t just a loss for birds. It’s a warning.

What You Can Do

The Great Salt Lake is a grim picture of what the future might look like if we don’t address the realities of climate change. The drying lake is a warning: we need to rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions now.

The electric power sector accounts for roughly 25% of US greenhouse gas emissions. But now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed cutting regulations on power plant emissions, effectively giving the sector a free pass to pollute.

We know what to expect if the agency moves forward. More climate pollution. More heat. And a rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake.

While EPA goal is clear, it’s not a done deal yet. The agency is taking public comments on this proposal until August 7.

Take action today and send a comment to EPA: Don’t repeal power plant emissions regulations.