Utah Residents Will Pay Over $100 Annually to Help Refill Great Salt Lake

A contingent valuation survey conducted by Weber State University in August 2025 asked 1,050 Utah residents about their support for Great Salt Lake restoration. The overwhelming majority, 95%, said the lake is at least somewhat important and would back a financial contribution of over $100 per household each year, provided they felt moderately sure the money would make a difference. Reported willingness to pay ranged from $36.56 to $485 depending on the payment method and confidence level, with higher amounts favored through water bills rather than state taxes.

Latter-day Saints expressed a willingness to pay nearly four times more than other respondents, while residents near the lake showed only slightly higher willingness than the rest of the state. Researchers hope the findings will inform legislators about public preferences for funding the lake’s recovery, which currently sits about half full and faces dust-related health risks.