Assessment of Potential Costs of Declining Water Levels in Great Salt Lake (April 2, 2020)

The purpose of this report is to assess the potential costs of declining water levels in Great Salt Lake and its wetlands. A multitude of people, systems, and wildlife rely on Great Salt Lake and value the services it provides. Declines in lake levels threaten current uses, imposing risks to livelihoods and lake ecosystems. This report synthesizes information from scientific literature, agency reports, informational interviews, and other sources to detail how and to what extent costs could occur at sustained lower lake levels. Water diversions from the rivers that feed Great Salt Lake have driven historical declines in lake levels. Current and future water stressors, without intervention to protect or enhance water flows to Great Salt Lake, have the potential to deplete water levels even further. Declines in lake levels threaten the business, environmental, and social benefits that Great Salt Lake provides and could result in substantial costs to surrounding local communities and the State of Utah. This report traces the pathways and resulting costs that could arise due to declines in water levels in Great Salt Lake. The potential costs evaluated in this report include those caused by reduced lake effect, increased dust, reduced lake access, increased salinity, habitat loss, new island bridges, and the spread of invasive species.