The Great Salt Lake is shrinking, but one leader says we can reverse the trend

SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake dipped down to its lowest level ever recorded earlier this month after also breaking records last summer. And experts expect the lake level to continue declining throughout the year.

But the Acting Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources Joel Ferry said that the state can reverse the trend.

“I think the efforts that were taken this last year by the legislature and by the governor’s office, by a lot of our cities and towns are going to make a difference,” Ferry said.

Gov. Spencer Cox has released a plan to protect the lake. The plan includes creating a trust to increase water, improving agriculture tools that use that water, and enhancing water conservation.

Ferry said he believes the efforts are going to make a difference. “I do think that there is hope on the horizon and that there is reason to be optimistic. We’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to look for ways to conserve, to save and to improve water flows to the lake.”

But, Ferry said, there’s a lot of demand for the water and it’s going to take time to see any change.

Lindsay Aerts contributed to the reporting of this story.

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