The Great Salt Lake in Utah is in danger of completely evaporating if the lake continues to shrink at its current rates, according to a warning from researchers and environmental officials.
The iconic ultra-salty lake, larger in square mileage than the state of Rhode Island, is currently losing an average of 1.2 million acre-feet per year, according to a 34-page report released by a group of researchers last week. The lake’s current water levels sit at 19 feet below its average, and it has lost 73% of its water and 60% of its surface area since 1850.
The Great Salt Lake, which is a terminal lake, relies on a consistent inflow of water to maintain its water levels because it only retains water that flows into it and does not outflow to other bodies of water. This has historically been done by melting snowfall in the Utah mountains that is diverted to the lake via small streams and rivers.
As water continues to shrink, that salinity could reach 17% by the end of the summer and threaten the algae in the water. The algae is a crucial food source for brine shrimp that live in the lake, which in turn are crucial food sources for the millions of migratory birds that travel through the area each year.
Researchers have proposed a list of things local lawmakers can do to avoid the lake’s disappearance, pressing for legislation that “allows users to return water to the lake while retaining rights.”
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