At an emergency room visit, medical professionals triage patients and render care based on the severity of the symptoms.
The Great Salt Lake is one of those entities that would be pushed to the front of the line given its current condition.
“It is not a happy place for the lake to be,” said Brian Steed, the Great Salt Lake commissioner, during a media briefing.
“We are extraordinarily nervous.”
Right now, the lake generally sits at 4,192 feet, while the ideal target is 3 feet higher. To put it in context, that is 250,000 football fields of water shortage.
“It is a scary low level,” said Hannah Freeze, deputy commissioner.
Steed was alternately optimistic and pessimistic in his emergency room diagnosis of the lake and how people can help during an update on the lake on Tuesday.
Steed conceded that there may be a fatigue effect happening when it comes to the Great Salt Lake, drought and ways to conserve water.
“Personal choices do make a difference,” he stressed.
But when it comes to saving water, the struggle can make enemies out of friends. The Great Salt Lake, in his opinion, has turned into a parlor game of sorts that pits farmers against other water users about who is to blame for the declining lake.
“That is the wrong way to think about it.”
Steed said the important thing is to remember it is a collective effort that means everyone needs to remain invested, even if the diagnosis remains unclear.
A recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by HarrisX Interactive asked 840 Utah adults about their concern — or lack thereof — over the water level of the Great Salt Lake. The results indicate that more than 3 out of 4 people are at least somewhat concerned with the drought’s effects on the lake.
A large majority of those surveyed — 77% — were either “very concerned” (28%) or “somewhat concerned” (49%) about the low water levels of the lake.
But the poll also showed that 23% of Utah residents are starting to check out, as 18% said they were “not very concerned” about Great Salt Lake water levels, with 5% saying they are “not concerned at all.”
The poll also shows two-thirds of Utahns have heard about water levels in the Great Salt Lake recently.
A statewide drought
Nearly 60% of the state is in severe drought, while all of the state is classified as drought-affected, according to U.S. Drought Monitor.
Still, efforts are being made and the cup is still half full, not half empty, according to Steed.
“We are in a real drought,” but the salinity levels of the Great Salt Lake give him hope, he added.
Millions of dollars are being poured into the goal to save the lake, but it comes with a price tag called effort.
Some $53 million in grant funding is available that supports Great Salt Lake and its wetlands through a variety of projects.
Steed said the state remains committed to saving this saline body of water, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.
His office is pushing for more engagement in water conservation efforts and educating the public about the vital role the Great Salt Lake plays.
The lake is not only part of Utah’s cultural identity and history, but is an economic powerhouse, contributing an estimated $1.9 billion to Utah’s economy, according to the state’s website.
Over the last few years, Utah lawmakers have dedicated nearly a billion dollars toward conservation. Is it enough?