Utah Speaker Proposes Berms to Manage Great Salt Lake Dust

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz is proposing a new strategy to mitigate dust blowing from the shrinking Great Salt Lake into nearby communities [2]. The plan involves using temporary berms to redirect water into specific areas of the lake bed, allowing the surface to crust over before releasing the water back into the main body of the lake [2].

Key takeaways

• Speaker Mike Schultz suggests using temporary berms to create a crust on exposed lake beds to prevent dust from blowing into populated areas [2].
• Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed noted that while water levels remain a concern, the lake's salinity has reached a positive, necessary level [2].
• The lake is currently shrinking due to water diversions, drought, and climate change, which exposes lake bed minerals like arsenic to the air [2].
• State officials are now managing the north and south arms of the lake as a single unit to better address ecological and economic risks [2].

Addressing the Growing Dust Problem

The Great Salt Lake has faced significant decline, leading to concerns regarding the exposure of the lake bed. When winds pick up particles from this exposed area, they can carry naturally occurring minerals, including potentially toxic arsenic, into neighboring communities [2]. Speaker Schultz emphasized that the state must explore all available options to protect public health, noting that the berm strategy is one of several ideas currently under discussion [2].

Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed, who is tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to save the lake, reported that while recent winter and spring runoff did not meet expectations, the lake's salinity levels have successfully rebounded [2]. The south arm of the lake, where the majority of Utah's population resides, is currently measured at 4,193.3 feet [2]. Officials have shifted their management approach to treat the north and south arms—which are separated by a causeway—as one integrated system [2].

Why it matters

The Great Salt Lake is vital to Utah’s economy and environment, providing a habitat for millions of migratory birds and contributing to the state's snowpack, which is essential for the local water supply [2]. Because the lake's continued shrinkage poses an ecological and economic threat, state leaders are under pressure to implement effective management solutions [2]. Scientists are currently conducting research to determine the specific health impacts of the minerals found in the exposed lake bed, as officials continue to seek ways to balance water conservation with the need to mitigate dust-related health risks for the public [2].