As Utahns look toward another uncertain year of winter snowpack, we recognize the need for big, innovative solutions to restore and preserve the Great Salt Lake. Utah is committed to investing in real solutions to meet this challenge.
This fall, cross-sector leadership, including business executives, agency heads, nonprofit leaders, philanthropists and conservationists, stood together with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz to sign the Great Salt Lake 2034 Charter. Great Salt Lake Rising, a coalition of business and philanthropic organizations, and Ducks Unlimited each pledged $100 million to add to existing public commitments. The Utah Legislature, state agencies and the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office have already placed many policies, actions and funding in motion to begin to reverse the Lake’s decline. Key among those actions is the establishment of the ’s decline. Key among those actions is the establishment of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, on which I’m honored to serve as a member of the Trust Advisory Council.
Since its establishment in 2023, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust), jointly managed by the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, has delivered on its commitments. It has shown that voluntary water transactions built on collaboration, partnership and mutual respect can and do put water back in the Lake. As a Trust Council member, I’ve seen firsthand the effort a single water transaction takes. Each one requires diligent coordination involving legal contracts, state approvals and shepherding the water through the system to ensure it reaches the Lake. It’s not something any single entity can accomplish on its own; it takes partners. Working in partnership with water conservancy districts, local tribes, private landowners, agriculture, local governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations and community leaders, the Trust continues to show what is possible when we collaborate to prioritize measurable results.
In 2023, the Trust secured roughly 64,000 acre-feet of water and dedicated it to the Lake. In 2024, that increased to about 69,000 acre-feet. This year, the Trust is on track to exceed 72,000 acre-feet for the Great Salt Lake. Although the Lake needs much more water to return to healthy levels, these initial, vital steps show we’re making a real difference for the Lake and its wetlands as well as the economic activity, migratory birds, tourism, clean air and other factors that the Lake sustains.
Water volume is only part of the story. For three consecutive years, the Trust has funded projects that restore and enhance the Great Salt Lake’s surrounding wetlands and the health of its interconnected habitats. For example, a newly replaced headgate on the State Canal, which provides 90% of all water inflows to Farmington Bay Wetland Management Area, helps ensure the long-term resiliency of the Lake. These projects help water move to where it’s needed most and protect the vital habitat for the tens of millions of birds that stop at the Great Salt Lake on their annual migrations.
To meet the ambitious goals laid out in the Trust’s Five-Year Strategy, we must scale up. The strategy estimates $110-145 million in additional funding to achieve the program objectives for 2028 alone. That will require stable and ongoing funding and new partnerships. We’re not looking for one-time wins. We’re building a sustainable future for the Great Salt Lake that will stand the test of time for generations of Utahns to come.
The 2034 Charter affirms that Lake stewardship is Utah stewardship. When people come to Utah for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, I hope they appreciate not only its stunning natural beauty and vibrant economy but also the way the people of Utah came together across community, religious and political lines to solve a hard problem like preserving the health of the Great Salt Lake.
This is our lake, our responsibility and our opportunity. The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust and the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office have laid the foundation. Now it’s up to all of us as leaders, communities and citizens to build on that success.