SALT LAKE CITY — Utah continues to make significant strides in stabilizing Great Salt Lake, though the vital ecosystem remains below healthy levels, according to the latest data summary released for the 2026 General Legislative Session. The report, authored by the Great Salt Lake Strike Team, highlights tangible progress in 2025, but underscores the urgent need for sustained and data-driven action to contribute to a durable path forward for Great Salt Lake.
“The collective efforts across our state agencies, public research universities, and private partners have yielded tangible progress in stabilizing Great Salt Lake,” said Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake commissioner and executive director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. “While conditions have stabilized, this report clearly shows that the journey to recovery requires sustained commitment, innovative solutions, and data-driven decisions to secure a healthy future for this vital ecosystem.”
Key findings from the data summary include the following:
Water Contributions – Between 2021 and 2025, nearly 400,000 acre-feet of water were dedicated and delivered to Great Salt Lake, an achievement made possible by an expanded toolbox of strategies. This includes growth in water leasing and conservation programs, large-scale phragmites removal projects that free water for wetlands, and an assessment of the Newfoundland Evaporation Basin, which shows potential for a modest but reliable 20-50 thousand acre-feet of water annually. Salinity levels in the lake’s south arm also stabilized since 2022 because of adaptive management of the causeway berm.
Dust Mitigation Advancements – Efforts to combat dust emissions from exposed lakebed continued with the expansion of the Utah Dust Observation and Research Network (UDORN). The network enhances monitoring capacity to identify dust sources, measure their composition, and assess potential public health risks. Preliminary analyses show that temporary impoundment in Farmington Bay could significantly reduce dust by submerging 58% of mapped hotspots if water levels are raised to 4,199 feet.
Updated Water Budget – Revised estimates reveal that Municipal and Industrial (M&I) depletions now account for approximately 26% of human-caused depletions, a significant increase from previous estimates. This updated data emphasizes that all sectors—urban, agricultural, and industrial—must contribute to conservation efforts.
Long-Term Outlook – While progress continues, the lake’s south arm concluded the 2025 water year at 4,191.1 feet, the third-lowest recorded elevation since 1903, placing it within the “serious adverse effects” range. Thirty-year projections indicate that a sustained additional inflow of 800 thousand acre-feet per year is necessary to return the lake to healthy levels (4,198 feet) by 2055. Climate projections further suggest that increasing temperatures will lead to greater evaporation, potentially offsetting gains from expected higher precipitation.
“Our report provides critical understanding of how changes in climate and land use influence the hydrology of Great Salt Lake watershed,” noted Paul Brooks, professor of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Utah. “The collaboration between universities and state agencies, combined with both historical and new government investments in monitoring, has resulted in a dataset on hydrology and water supply unparalleled anywhere in the world. These data and analyses underscore the urgency of implementing comprehensive strategies that account for both natural variability and long-term trends in water supply.”