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What's at stake if we neglect the Great Salt Lake?
Losing the Great Salt Lake will permanently degrade our quality of life.
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Dust from an exposed lakebed carries arsenic, mercury, PFAS, and other toxic metals. This dust will affect up to 2.5 million Utahns—lingering in the air for days, even outside strong wind events.
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Critical wetlands that support migratory birds are disappearing. The Great Salt Lake is the largest remaining wetland in the American West, supporting up to 12 million birds annually throughout the Pacific Flyway.
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The lake’s contribution to lake-effect snow helps Utah claim “The Greatest Snow on Earth.”
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Economic consequences would be severe. Annual losses could reach between $1.69 billion and $2.17 billion, with long-term potential losses of $25–$32 billion over 20 years. Major sectors such as minerals and recreation, along with other industries would impact more than 6,500 jobs.
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Property values will decline, undermining home equity and long-term financial security for families and communities.
Banner Photo by Mark Seawell
It's solvable but we must act NOW.
Here's what you can do, and it's easy.
In just the time it takes to grab your morning coffee, you can help save our Great Salt Lake. A quick phone call or email to a Utah state legislator expressing your concern can make a difference. You don’t need to be an expert or offer solutions—just say saving the lake is important to you and ask them to act with urgency. This is a solvable problem; the science and solutions are known, they just need to be implemented.
Here's how to do it:
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Find your legislator's contact info here: (https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp). Add them in your contact list, you'll want to call them frequently.
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If calling, expect to reach an intern or voicemail; that’s normal, and you can leave a brief message.
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If you do reach the legislator, all the better. Be respectful and tell them your concerns.
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What to say (a simple script): “Good morning, my name is __________, I’m a Utah voter and your constituent. I’m extremely concerned about the future of our Great Salt Lake and want to see policy solutions and funding to restore the level to 4198 ft since that's the minimum elevation the lake can be healthy."
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If possible, ask them how they plan to address this during the legislative session.
Notes:
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Your call will be logged as a constituent concern, even if you don’t get a direct answer. This is still good, call data is collected around issues that help our leaders know what to focus on.
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Legislators want to hear from the people they serve. It might not feel that way, but public engagement is the key to a functioning democracy.
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If you can take just a few more minutes, SaveOurGreatSaltLake. org would like to hear how your legislator responded. You can fill out a very short survey here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6Z4j0PA1EiB2y1Mem_eVaVU3XO_QFhaVUzhCmwI-X5Cp6Bw/viewform​ -
Sign up for the Utah Rivers Council Action Alerts at: https://utahrivers.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3e86be07a004e70a601c3568a&id=3606de86a5
Thank you for taking a moment to speak out. Believe it or not--every call helps. ​
Conservation is LESS costly than mitigating the collapse.
Saving the Great Salt Lake isn’t just an environmental imperative—it’s a fiscally smarter choice than years of reactive mitigation.
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A cost comparison highlights the difference. The Division of Water Resources Municipal & Industrial Water Conservation Opportunities Report estimates that a “no action” scenario (keeping the lake at its current level) would require total expenditures of $7.2 to $14.4 billion, with annual dust-control costs of $290 million to $575 million over 25 years. Those figures assume the lake remains at its shrinking level, a trajectory that will only raise mitigation costs as dust, health impacts, and ecological effects worsen.
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Restoring the lake toward a healthy 4,198 feet would stop the ongoing, unpredictable expense of endless mitigation. The Utah Rivers Council’s 20-year dust-mitigation projection for the Great Salt Lake ranges from $1.3 to $22.8 billion—well below the potential cost of inaction.
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We can avoid a future filled with costly, ongoing fixes. The path forward starts with action, not abdication. The choices we make now will determine if we retain the lake's ecological value at a sustainable, manageable cost.
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Our best first step is legislative outreach to align public policy with the lake’s long-term vitality.
Find your local state legislators here and call TODAY: https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp
Photo by Chris Carlson
Photo by Chris Carlson
More resources
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fogsl.org
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greatsaltlakenews.org
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greatsaltlakewaterkeeper.org
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​growtheflowutah.org
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utahrivers.org
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savethegreatsaltlake.org
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uphe.org
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nature.org
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greatsaltlake.utah.gov
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​​4200project.org