“I worry about complacency,” said Bonnie Baxter, director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University. “We need to really be cautious about being optimistic.”
The shrinking Great Salt Lake , seen from Antelope Island State Park in Utah on March 15, 2022. The level of the Great Salt Lake is higher than in past years, but still low.Two years ago, the Great Salt Lake became an omen for the risks of climate change : The water level dropped to a record low, threatening the ecosystem, economy and even the air quality of the area around Salt Lake City , home to a majority of Utah ’s population.
Last year, Utah received more than double its typical snowfall, the most since records began in 1981. This year, snowfall was 30% above average. But there’s no reason to expect those above-average levels of snowfall to persist, he said. The fact that the Great Salt Lake is no longer at record lows threatens to weaken political support for more conservation measures, Baxter said. As an example, she said state lawmakers passed fewer bills this year aimed at reducing water use by farmers or cities. Stansbury Island during a flyover of the Great Salt Lake with EcoFlight on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
Briefer cautioned that it can be dangerous to conclude too much based on a single year. But she, too, is worried. “I share the concern about Great Salt Lake fatigue,” Briefer said. “I am concerned that we might lose sight of the broader, long-term problems.”
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