Water Strategies for Great Salt Lake : Legal Analysis and Review of Select Water Strategies for Great Salt Lake : Final (Updated) (September 10, 2020)

Recent analyses indicate a historical decline of 11 feet in Great Salt Lake water levels due to human development and use of water in its watershed; a decline most recently accentuated by the recent drought of the 2000s and near-record low lake water levels in 2016 and 2018. A preliminary assessment of future conditions in Great Salt Lake’s Watershed suggests this trend may continue with lake water levels continuing to decline. The worldwide decline and loss of similar saline lakes provides further perspective on the possibility, the consequences, and the opportunities the State of Utah must consider as it evaluates the resiliency of Great Salt Lake and that of the communities located on its shoreline.