Conservation Efforts for Great Salt Lake Covered in Latest Water Report

The Water Report—a monthly publication covering key water issues throughout the West—published an article co-written by Audubon and The Nature Conservancy in the latest edition covering the establishment and impacts of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust).

Great Salt Lake—the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere—is an essential and irreplaceable ecosystem facing crisis as climate change, drought, population growth, and increased water diversions have all contributed to a downward trend in lake levels. In 2022, the same year the lake reached its lowest level ever recorded, the Utah Legislature passed The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program, authorizing $40 million to establish the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust to enhance water quantity and quality and protect and restore wetlands in the surrounding ecosystem to benefit the lake’s hydrology. Audubon, along with The Nature Conservancy in Utah (TNC), were chosen for their expertise and experience to jointly manage the Trust in achieving the mission to help preserve the irreplaceable wetlands and water of Great Salt Lake by fostering collaborative partnerships and innovative water projects for the benefit of people and wildlife. In the short time since its establishment in January 2023, with the leadership of Audubon and TNC, the Trust’s success in facilitating water transactions to benefit the lake and contributing to the security of Great Salt Lake’s wetlands and habitat has set a precedent for collaborative and creative problem-solving. While this is just one solution to help improve outcomes for Great Salt Lake, it may be a successful model that can be replicated and adapted for other vulnerable ecosystems across the nation. Audubon and TNC collaborated on this article.

To read the full water report, click the link below: