Our Impact

The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust), or GSLWET, was established in January 2023 pursuant to the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program which provided $40 million to establish and implement a water trust for the benefit of Great Salt Lake, its wetlands, and hydrology. Co-managed by the Saline Lakes Program of the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy in Utah, the primary purpose of the Trust is to enhance water quantity and water quality for Great Salt Lake and its wetlands, as well as protect and restore wetlands and habitats to benefit the hydrology of Great Salt Lake.

In 2024, the Trust issued its Five-Year Strategy setting goals for water transactions, wetland protections, improving water distribution and leveraging state funding.

 Below is a summary of the Trust’s accomplishments, as of January 1, 2025, and you can learn more in the 2024 Annual Report.

Protect / Enhance Water Flows

The Trust and its co-managers, working in partnership with many organizations, including the State of Utah’s Divisions of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) and Wildlife Resources (DWR), have facilitated, provided transaction costs, and/or contributed funding to water transactions of approximately 64,000 acre-feet on a diversion basis in 2023 and approximately 69,000 acre-feet on a diversion basis in 2024 for Great Salt Lake. The baseline for water transactions beginning in 2025 is approximately 54,000 acre-feet.

The bulk of this water was donated or partially donated, including the largest-ever permanent water donation of water to Great Salt Lake from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other water transactions include large multi-year donations from Rio Tinto Kennecott, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, and Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. Other major partners of the Trust are listed in the table below.

The Trust is actively investigating additional water transactions in coordination with FFSL and DWR.

Conserve / Protect / Restore Wetlands & Habitat – Benefit Great Salt Lake Hydrology

At least 25% ($10 million) of the State grant money will be used to “protect and restore wetlands and habitats in the Great Salt Lake’s surrounding ecosystem to benefit the hydrology of the Great Salt Lake.” (Utah Code Section 65A-16-301(2)(b))

In 2023 - its first year of operations, the Trust successfully implemented a Wetlands Protection and Restoration Funding program, awarding more than $8.5 million to eight ongoing projects to improve nearly 13,000 acres of wetlands surrounding Great Salt Lake. The 2023 projects were undertaken by local, state, federal, and non-governmental entities, and applicants and partners are providing at least $6.5 million in matching contributions. Click here for more information on each project proposal and their impact →

Building on the success of the 2023 program, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands partnered with the Trust in 2024 on a joint wetland funding effort, utilizing the Trust’s existing funding framework and criteria. Four applicants from state and non-governmental entities were awarded more than $5.4 million for projects at six locations that will protect and/or restore wetlands and benefit the hydrology of Great Salt Lake. Spanning nearly 6,000 acres of wetlands and habitat surrounding Great Salt Lake, awardees and partners are providing at least $.6 million in matching contributions.

Click here for more information on each project proposal and their impact →

Proposed projects from both years of grant funding were scored by a Technical Review Committee comprised of Great Salt Lake ecosystem experts and final award decisions were made by the Trust Advisory Council and FFSL.

Engage / Leverage Funding

Since its inception, the Trust has continued to leverage public and private funding, and engage with partners and stakeholders.

Below is a summary of the Trust’s financials as of December 31, 2024:

  • The Trust continues efforts to engage with stakeholders and looks forward to increasing the level of engagement.

  • The Trust has worked to leverage the State grant funds with other match, including water donations, other in-kind contributions, as well as cash match.

  • The State Grant Money expended from inception through December 31, 2024 has been leveraged on a 1.6 to 1 basis, with disbursements of State Grant Money during the two-year period of $3,749,550 leveraged by $5,992,506 in matching funds and donations.

  • In 2024, consistent with the Act and the State Grant Agreement with FFSL, a $2 million endowment fund was established utilizing funds from the State Grant Money.

  • The estimated uncommitted State Grant Money for future Trust work ranges between approximately $11 million and $16.5 million as we move forward in 2025.

GSLWET Disbursements and Leverage/Match Inception through 2024

*Match for operational and professional services is for the period 6-2-22 to 9-30-24.

The Trust Team Focus Looking Forward

  • Continue coordination with the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner,  the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and the Utah Division of Wildlife and other agencies.

  • Engage with partners, agricultural producers, water providers, and communities.

  • Invest in protecting and enhancing water flows for Great Salt Lake through voluntary water transactions and other innovative means as we strive to achieve the Five-Year objective of 100,000 acre-feet of water.

  • Support and administer the 2023 and 2024 wetland and habitat project awards funded by the Trust.