The Great Salt Lake Is Shrinking, Posing Health Risks To 1.2 Million People
The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the largest lake in the United States that does not lead out to the sea.
Its salty waters host a diverse ecosystem. Each year, a number of migrating bird species, including ibis, egrets, gulls, pelicans, plovers, and swans, fly to the lake and feed on brine flies and brine shrimp. The lake also supports multi-million dollar industries, such as food, tourism, and mining.
“The lake has a lot of social and economic relevance for the region and Utah,” said Siiri Bigalke, the lead author of the study from Portland State University (PSU).
“It provides over $1.9 billion in annual economic revenue, serves as a vital feeding ground for millions of migratory birds, and enhances snowfall over the Wasatch Mountain Range.”
With 11 world-class ski resorts, it’s no wonder that the 2034 Winter Olympics will be returning to Salt Lake City. But sadly, the lake is in trouble and has shown a long-term trend of decline.
In 2022, it reached record-low water volume levels, raising concerns for Utah. New research has determined the contributing factors to the shrinkage, which is important for managing the body of water in the future.
A team of researchers created a model that simulates lake volume change over the years by measuring water inputs from streamflow into the lake, rainfall onto the lake, and output from water evaporating off the lake.
The decline in lake levels has been associated with low stream flows from its three major tributaries due to a combination of drought, climate change, and water diversions.
However, the new study found that lower streamflows only made up about two-thirds of the total decline in lake volume.
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The rest came from an increase in lake evaporation as a result of warmer temperatures. Temperatures will only continue to climb and make matters worse.
“As the climate is warming, evaporation off the lake increases, so the contribution from warming to the evaporation is significant,” said Paul Loikith, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of geography at PSU.
“Without the warming trend, 2022 wouldn’t have been a record low. Even though streamflow is dominant, the increase in evaporation was necessary to reach the record low.”
The findings suggest that increased streamflow can lead to quicker volume recovery in the short term, but it is expected to lead to additional water loss over the long term.
Furthermore, the dust from the shrinking lake poses health risks for the 1.2 million people living in the Salt Lake City area.
More of the dry lakebed becomes exposed as the lake continues to shrink, affecting the quality of air for nearby residents.
The study was published in Geophysical Research Letters.
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