Editor’s Note—This is one of our continuing series of stories as part of our Davis Journal Water Watchers campaign)

ANTELOPE ISLAND—As the Great Salt Lake continues to shrink, federal lawmakers are trying to find a way to save it. Sen. Mitt Romney and Reps. Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens introduced the Great Salt Lake Recovery Act last week, legislation to study drought conditions and protect the health of the lake long term. 

“The Great Salt Lake is obviously in crisis,” said Stewart. “Half the time when I land in Salt Lake I can see the receding shores. When I look from my home at Antelope Island it’s not an island anymore.”

During the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that designated $40 million for the Great Salt Lake watershed enhancement program. This new legislation builds upon that.

“It will take a huge effort to heal the lake,” Stewart said. “It is going to take years. The state can’t do it by itself.”

“Utah’s iconic Great Salt Lake is currently at the lowest levels ever recorded – for the second time in less than a year,” said Romney. “It is incumbent on us to take action now which will preserve and protect this critical body of water for many generations to come. By authorizing a feasibility study on addressing the historic drought conditions of the Great Salt Lake this legislation complements and elevates the work already being done by the State of Utah to develop a permanent solution to save our Great Salt Lake.”

“One of the studies would look at pulling water out of the Sea of Cortez and bringing it up to the Great Salt Lake,” said Stewart. “It will not be an easy project. We’d use a small nuclear reactor to power the pumps. We could also drop water into California lakes. They’re running dry. By filling the lake we’ll have more water on the Wasatch Range and beyond.”

It’s an enormous project to build a pipeline, he said. “It will have to be a concerted effort to make it happen.”

Stewart said they’ve been working with the Utah legislative leadership. “We’ve talked to the Speaker, Senate President and the Governor. The federal government wants to study this and find a solution. As we hone in on what to do, we’ll work more closely with the state leaders.”

They’re excited to have us involved, he said. “They know they can’t do it alone.”

The Recovery Act will have to go through committee first because it has to be funded, he said. “California has an interest so we hope and expect that some representatives and senators will give us bipartisan support. Not years from now but hopefully during the next funding bill.”

It’s a benefit to the entire West, said Stewart. “It’s a national treasure – not just for Utah.” λ