Utah's Great Salt Lake is larger than any other lake in recorded history. The USGS reported in July that the world's third- largest lake had dropped to the lowest level ever recorded. The southern arm of the lake is a key bird habitat. The threshold at which essential microorganisms begin to die has been reached.
Scientists warn that a critical feeding ground for millions of birds is at risk of collapse because of the trends.
Bonnie has been documenting the lake's alarming changes. Birds go away from a spot we usually see them in. Dead flies can be seen along the shore. We have to walk further to get to the water.
The prospect of a dying lake and the risk of harmful dust blowing from the dry lakebed has galvanized policymakers to find ways to restore water to the lake.
The Great Salt Lake was split in 1959 by a railroad causeway. The southern arm, which is fed by three rivers, became saltier as time went on. The northern and southern arms have historically been too salty to support more organisms.
Brine shrimp and brine flies are abundant in the southern part of the ocean, which is four times saltier than the sea. Birds eat a lot of flies and shrimp when they arrive at the lake. A diving waterbird called the eared grebe needs a lot of adult brine shrimp to live.
Researchers say that the base of the food web is at risk due to low water and rising salinity. The mats ofbacteria that dot the lake bottom have dried out because of the shoreline's shortening. The communities that remain submerged are at risk of being threatened by the salty water. The cyanobacteria start to die off when the salinity goes up.
Brine fly populations might be harmed by the loss of the mats. The flies lay their eggs on the lake surface and the flies pupate before they mature into adults. The pupae of some bird species have been showing up dead on the lakeshore during this fall's migration season, whereas others feed on the adult birds.
The brine shrimp could be in short supply soon. In the future, the lake will become so salty that it will collapse, according to a pair of state ecologists.
Researchers are on the scene of the crisis. An expert will be brought in to assess the situation. Shorebird populations are tracked by groups. There are other saline lakes in Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah that are facing the same stress.
People and wildlife are at risk due to the shrink of the lake. According to an atmospheric scientist at the University of Utah, 9% of the exposed lakebed is thought to have problematic levels of arsenic or metals. Dust is likely to be carried far and wide by the winds. The worst-case scenario would be an air pollution disaster similar to what happened in Iran near other lakes. Scientists have documented how storms are already dumping lakebed particles onto the snow, darkening it and speeding the melt.
Conservatists have urged policymakers to reduce the amount of water that farmers and other users divert from streams. "Conventional wisdom has been that it's just a salty lake and we should be using the water upstream," said Utah State Representative Tim Hawkes. The lake has been out of sight for a lot of people in Utah.
Policymakers took action this year. Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a series of bills to save the lake. New rules allow farmers to sell water rights that are not used by groups that allow water to flow to the lake. The state earmarked $450 million for water infrastructure and a fund that could be used to buy water for the lake in the future.
It will take a long time for such policies to have a noticeable effect. One wonders if any of this is enough. Shoop says she is optimistic because there are so many people trying to come up with solutions.
The upcoming winter wet season may give the lake a temporary reprieve. It could help refill the region's dry streams if it produces a good snow in nearby mountains.
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