Utah must curb water depletion to revive the Great Salt Lake, not just spend money

In response to the Great Salt Lake’s record low level in 2022, Utah passed multiple bills, created programs, and earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars, including establishing the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner. Despite this policy machine, the author contends that the lake’s recovery depends on adding water rather than merely spending money. The distinction between diversion and depletion is emphasized: diverted water often returns, while depletion—water lost to evaporation or plant transpiration—directly reduces lake inflow.

Recent research indicates agriculture depletes about 1.3 million acre-feet annually and landscape irrigation about 330,000 acre-feet, yet the lake needs roughly one million acre-feet of extra water each year to rebound. The article recommends a basin-wide water budget that caps allowable depletion and channels saved water from existing reservoirs, releasing it in the fall when it can most effectively reach the lake. Hannah Freeze, Utah’s new Great Salt Lake commissioner, is urged to spearhead depletion accounting and coordinate with federal, state, and local partners to translate policy into measurable water gains. Reducing outdoor water use is presented as the fastest, cheapest route to restoring the lake.