Why is the Great Salt Lake drying up?

The Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and a vital ecosystem in Utah, is drying up at an alarming rate. Over the last few decades, the lake has experienced dramatic reductions in water level and surface area, reaching historic lows in 2021 and 2022. This ecological crisis poses a serious threat not only to the lake’s unique environment but also to the economy, public health, and climate resilience of the region.

1. Water Diversions for Agriculture and Development

The leading cause of the Great Salt Lake’s shrinkage is human water use. Around two-thirds of the lake’s inflow has been diverted upstream for agriculture, municipal, and industrial use. The lake’s major tributaries—the Bear, Weber, and Jordan Rivers—are heavily managed through dams, canals, and reservoirs that redirect water before it can reach the lake.

• Agriculture alone consumes nearly 80% of Utah’s water use, with crops such as alfalfa, which require large amounts of irrigation.
• Urban growth around Salt Lake City and surrounding communities has increased water demand for homes, lawns, and industry.
• As water is diverted upstream, less freshwater reaches the lake, reducing its ability to balance evaporation and replenish itself.

2. Climate Change and Prolonged Drought

The Western United States, including Utah, has been experiencing a megadrought—the most severe in over 1,200 years, according to tree-ring records. As temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift due to climate change, the Great Salt Lake faces:

• Lower snowpack in the surrounding Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, which feed the lake via snowmelt.
• Earlier snowmelt, which leads to more runoff being absorbed by soils or lost to evaporation before reaching the lake.
• Increased evaporation rates caused by warmer temperatures and lower humidity.

Together, these climatic changes accelerate the lake’s decline, compounding the effects of water diversions.

3. Industrial and Mineral Extraction Activities

Industries that harvest minerals from the lake’s brine—such as salt, magnesium, and lithium producers—also contribute to the lake's shrinkage. These companies use vast evaporation ponds to extract minerals, removing large volumes of water from the lake system.

Although this represents a smaller percentage of total water loss compared to agriculture, it still reduces the overall volume of water and alters salinity levels, which can affect the lake’s ecosystem.

4. A Closed-Basin Lake

The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, meaning it has no natural outlet. Water enters via rivers and precipitation but leaves only through evaporation. This makes the lake particularly vulnerable to any reductions in inflow. When more water is lost than replenished, the lake shrinks—both in depth and surface area.

Unlike lakes connected to flowing river systems, the Great Salt Lake cannot “flush” out changes or pollutants. It is highly sensitive to water balance and easily tipped into decline when inflows are disrupted.

5. Impacts of the Drying Lake

The drying of the Great Salt Lake has triggered a cascade of environmental and human consequences:

• Loss of habitat for millions of migratory birds that rely on the lake’s wetlands and brine shrimp for food.
• Collapse of the brine shrimp industry, which harvests shrimp eggs for global aquaculture and contributes tens of millions of dollars annually to Utah’s economy.
• Increased dust storms from exposed lakebed, carrying arsenic, heavy metals, and fine particulates that pose health risks to humans.
• Changes in regional climate, as the lake plays a role in moderating local temperatures and generating lake-effect snow for Utah’s ski resorts.
• Shoreline infrastructure damage as marinas and docks become stranded far from the retreating shoreline.

6. What Can Be Done?

Efforts to save the Great Salt Lake are underway but face challenges. Solutions include:

Water conservation: Encouraging more efficient agricultural practices, xeriscaping, and reductions in municipal water use.

Policy changes: Utah passed some new water laws in 2022 and 2023, including efforts to prioritize lake inflow and increase water banking.

Environmental restoration: Projects to restore wetlands and improve upstream water flow.

Public awareness: Conservationists and scientists are calling for urgent action and education about the lake’s importance.

Without significant policy and behavioral changes, scientists warn the Great Salt Lake could disappear within a few decades, leaving behind a toxic dust bowl and a devastated ecosystem.

Conclusion

The Great Salt Lake is drying up due to a combination of human water consumption, climate change, and industrial pressures, made worse by the lake’s closed nature. This is not a distant problem—it's an unfolding environmental crisis with far-reaching implications for health, biodiversity, agriculture, and Utah’s economy. Protecting the lake requires urgent, coordinated efforts across sectors to reduce water use, restore natural flows, and adapt to a changing climate.