Great Salt Lake commission reports: lake still low, causeway management and grants used to shore up salinity and habitat

Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed told the Natural Resources Interim Committee that the lake remains in drought, that salinity and dust remain primary concerns, and that the commission is pursuing grant funding, voluntary water transactions and on-the-ground habitat work to reduce risks to the lake’s ecosystem and nearby communities.

The commission has a one-year-plus implementation window under a statewide Great Salt Lake strategic plan and is using a combination of state and federal resources to keep salinity within a healthier band in the south arm, expand monitoring and pursue water deliveries. Lawmakers pressed the commission for more detail on actions and timelines.

Steed said the south arm surface elevation was approximately 4,191.6 feet and the north arm about 4,191 feet at the time of the meeting. He told the committee the commission, the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and others have managed the causeway berm to influence salinity and avoid the…