While state-level action is still critical to the future of the Great Salt Lake, advocates say meaningful change can also begin much closer to home – at the municipal level.

That was the message delivered to the Kaysville City Council by Travis Padilla of Grow the Flow Utah, who recently presented information about the lake’s ongoing decline, and the role local governments can play in reversing it.

Padilla said he has watched one of North America’s most unique natural features steadily disappear during his lifetime. Rivers and streams that once replenished the Great Salt Lake are now heavily diverted for agriculture and to support Utah’s rapidly growing population. Today, approximately 80% of the water that historically flowed into the lake is diverted because of human activity.

Despite the alarming trend, Padilla told council members the situation is not hopeless. “This is a problem municipalities have the power to help fix,” he said. “If communities choose to act, they could become the first people in human history to save an inland saline lake.”

According to Padilla, meaningful change starts with local leadership and informed decisions about water use. He said mayors and city councils have the ability to implement policies that reduce unnecessary consumption and encourage conservation. Experts estimate Utah must return 30% to 50% more water to the lake to place it on a sustainable path before the 2034 Winter Olympics.

The stakes, he said, extend far beyond the lake itself. As water levels continue to decline, more of the lakebed becomes exposed, creating dangerous dust storms laden with toxins, including arsenic. Scientists warn that the dust can travel as far as 300 miles, threatening the health of more than 2.5 million residents along the Wasatch Front. Exposure has been linked to respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease and other serious health concerns.

The economic consequences could also be severe. A shrinking lake threatens tourism, outdoor recreation, property values and long-term business investment throughout northern Utah. Environmental advocates warn that continued decline could eventually make parts of the Wasatch Front less livable.

The ecological impacts are equally concerning. The Great Salt Lake supports a globally significant ecosystem and serves as a critical habitat for nearly 10 million migratory shorebirds each year. Experts warn that continued water loss could trigger widespread ecological collapse and permanently damage regional biodiversity.

The lake’s decline stems from decades of unsustainable water consumption, compounded by drought, population growth and climate change. Although two recent wet winters temporarily improved lake levels, experts say the underlying problem remains unchanged: Utah continues to consume more water than the watershed can sustain.

Utah currently uses nearly twice the national average of water per capita, with the majority consumed outdoors through lawn watering and landscaping. According to Padilla, about 96% of municipal water that never reaches the lake is lost through outdoor watering. Indoor water, by contrast, is typically treated and returned to the system.

Padilla encouraged Kaysville leaders to consider measures such as tiered water pricing, water budgets, restrictions on excessive outdoor watering and incentives for drought-resistant landscaping. He also advocated prohibiting nonfunctional turf – grass that serves little recreational or practical purpose – in new developments and major redevelopment projects.

“Water in a desert is not endless,” Padilla said. “When prices reflect the true value of water, conservation follows.” He urged city leaders to act proactively rather than wait for stricter state mandates in the future. “These may seem like small decisions,” he said, “but together they shape the future of the lake.”

Kaysville Mayor Tami Tran said all irrigation water in Kaysville comes from snowpack in the Wasatch Range; this year’s snowpack is the lowest on record. The city works closely with all three irrigation companies that serve Kaysville City. She said each irrigation company has its own rules and standards specific to them. This year, regional suppliers have mandated that normal irrigation use must be reduced by at least 20% and the irrigation season will begin later and end earlier than normal. Currently, customers do not pay based on the amount of water used; by 2030, state law requires irrigation companies to implement usage-based billing and at that time, customers who use less water will pay less. Tran said, “the city is doing its best to reduce outdoor water use and I encourage all residents to do the same.”

Visit https://www.kaysville.gov/186/Pressure-Irrigation for information about service areas, rules specific to each irrigation company, conservation tips, and available rebates.