Officials from the Great Salt Lake Commission and the Utah Lake Authority briefed the Executive Appropriations Committee on May 20, reporting ecological improvements in parts of Great Salt Lake while warning of ongoing drought, dust and legal risks.

Brian Steed, commissioner of the Great Salt Lake, said the lake level was 4,193.3 feet above sea level and noted salinity in the south arm had returned to healthier ranges that support brine shrimp and brine flies. "Salinity on the, on, really positive news has, really rebounded to where we need it to be," Steed told the committee, noting that recovery was an encouraging sign after low levels in 2022.

Steed identified continuing risks: drought across the watershed, exposed playa that produces dust during wind events, and an ongoing public‑trust lawsuit that the state is preparing to defend. He said the state is entering discovery in the suit and that responding will require resources: "We're looking at millions of dollars in discovery fees alone, just getting the documents together," Steed said in an exchange about the litigation. The commissioner also reported coordination with federal partners and said the state had secured approximately $50 million in federal funding to apply toward lake efforts.

Steed described efforts to increase the lake’s water supply and monitoring, noting 288,000 acre‑feet are currently legally dedicated to the lake and additional actions are planned through watershed enhancement and coordination with agriculture and mineral partners. He also listed management priorities including salinity monitoring, expansion of dust monitoring with the Department of Environmental Quality, and working with the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands on invasive phragmites management.

Samuel (Sam) Brager, deputy director of the Utah Lake Authority, summarized Utah Lake work: large-scale Phragmites removal (estimates of roughly 80% reduction across the lake in treated areas), revegetation efforts (25,000 plants planted last year and a target of 50,000), completion of the Port‑River Delta restoration (about 250 acres; multi‑million dollar investment), June sucker monitoring and pilot carp‑removal projects including remote‑activated carp traps and community carp‑removal incentives (the "Great Carp Hunt"). Brager said the authority represents a broad set of partners and emphasized collaborative management.

Legislators asked about operational responses. Senator Escamilla raised mosquito control as a public‑health concern given exposed playa; Steed said mosquito abatement is largely a county responsibility and that saltier water generally reduces mosquito habitat. Representative Snyder and others asked about low‑cost mitigation such as berm management and moving water across the causeway; Steed said the state is discussing causeway and water‑management options with Forestry, Fire and State Lands and other partners.

Ending: Officials said they will continue strategic planning and monitoring, seek partner funding for mitigation, and coordinate with local and federal partners; litigation and dust‑mitigation needs will require staff and funding attention in the near term.