The depletion of water levels in the Great Salt Lake in Utah has brought numerous concerns. Migratory birds are coming to the lake in fewer numbers because of the lack of food, while toxic dust from the lake bed is being exposed, causing health risks for local people and animals.
Hotter, drier weather conditions and excessive water consumption have seen the lake's water levels fall alarmingly. In 2022, there were fears for a complete ecosystem collapse as the water elevation level of 4,190 feet was the lowest recorded since records began, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey shared by CNN.
However, thanks to a wetter-than-usual winter and two consecutive years of healthy snowpacks, experts are cautiously optimistic that water levels could rise by as much as 1.2 feet during spring.
As ABC4 detailed, the Utah Snow Survey suggests 870,000 acre-feet of water could enter the lake during the season.
"If I had to guess, I'd guess that the 870,000 [acre-feet] figure is going to be a low number," said Jordan Clayton, supervisor of the Utah Snow Survey, per ABC4. "It could be a lot less than that; it could be a lot more."
In February 2024, Utah Lake opened its control gates to help provide water for the Great Salt Lake, with around 300 million gallons a day able to be released. Utah Lake was considered full following high precipitation levels and a melting snowpack, giving Great Salt Lake a much-needed boost.
But conservation efforts for the Great Salt Lake have been increasing, and the Utah government published a strategic plan to restore the lake in January 2024. Utah residents and businesses have been playing their part, too, by reducing water consumption.
"We've really done a lot [to] replenish our reservoir supply because of last year's runoff conditions and how good they were," Clayton added. "We also did a good job as a state conserving water so that less water was removed from those reservoirs. What that means for the Great Salt Lake is that a much larger percentage of the snow that we have right now will be able to make it to the Great Salt Lake downstream."
On average, U.S. residents waste 30 gallons of water a day. Across Utah, which has an estimated population of around 3.5 million people, that could result in 105 million gallons wasted every 24 hours.
One way to avoid overuse of water is to swap a monoculture lawn for a native plant garden. Plants that are used to local weather conditions and soil types typically require less watering, unlike monoculture lawns, which need regular hydration to stop them from turning brown and barren in warm weather.
Switching to a natural lawn could save as much as 1.5 million gallons of water over the course of a decade.
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