GREAT SALT LAKE—For decades, the levels of the Great Salt Lake, both rising and falling, have been a cause for concern for residents and officials alike in Utah. From wildlife to the economy, and beyond the lake is an integral part of the Utah ecosystem, and after years of bad news, there’s finally been an upswing.

As of June first of this year, the United States Geological Survey reported that the Great Salt Lake, the largest saline lake in the western hemisphere, had risen to 4,193.8 feet, a difference of three feet in three years.

Even more impressive is the fact that, while the lake has risen three feet in three years, the recent drought brought the lake level down to a staggering 4,188.7. This means that while the lake has risen three feet in three years, it has actually risen a full five feet in just one year.  

For a body of water in which centimeters and inches can make the difference, five feet is nothing to sneeze at. The increase has contributed to the local environment in big ways, bolstering possibilities for migratory birds and other wildlife to survive and thrive in this area. 

That doesn’t mean that the lake is quite out of the woods yet, though. Imagery from the past 40 years shows that water levels in the lake have ebbed and flowed, but, have steadily decreased over the years, with some experts positing that the Great Salt Lake could, in the span of five years, be dried up completely. 

According to the USGS, the lake still needs to rise at least another nine feet before it reaches the optimal range for things like recreation, economy, biology, and other factors. Even after record snowfall, runoff, and rain this year, nine more feet is no easy task.    

The problem may only be addressed over years of consistent precipitation. If Utah can count on precipitation in the similar numbers that it has had this year, both in snow and rainfall, consistently for the next few years, then, problems may well be solved. Still, if 2023 is any indication, the lake is headed in the right direction.

Over the past 10 years, the Great Salt Lake has hovered right around 4,193 feet in depth with ups and downs across the decade, but there hasn’t been this big of an upward trend in many years. With current snowpack still in record numbers, residents could see the lake rise even more before the summer is out.

Still, the Utah Department of Natural Resources cautions residents that most of the state is still in a drought. Their website correctly points out that no one really knows when Utah will have another year like this, which has shattered precipitation and snowpack records, and that residents should therefore continue to conserve water for the future. For more information on water conservation, readers should visit https://water.utah.gov/snowpack/.