GREAT SALT LAKE

South end of Great Salt Lake up nearly 4 feet since berm raised in February

Apr 29, 2023, 11:05 AM | Updated: 12:07 pm

SALT LAKE CITY — Most Utahns know the Great Salt Lake is in danger as the effects of the drought shrunk the lake and water levels reached a historic low in 2022.

However, a recent effort to minimize the ecological effects of the drought is giving hope for the lake’s future.

The Union Pacific Railroad causeway, which stretches 20 miles across the lake, is where you’ll find a breach toward the west end where the ecological effects of the drought are being minimized.

The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, as well as other state agencies, have been working to allow snowpack runoff to dilute salinity levels on the south end of the lake, allowing brine shrimp and flies to hatch, which could provide food for bird migration.

“With other saline lakes drying up in the West, there’s not a whole lot of places for them to stop over, so it’s crucial we support them here at the Great Salt Lake,” said Ben Stireman, who is a sovereign lands manager with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.

To prevent the south end of the lake from flowing to the north end and further affecting salinity levels on the south end, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox ordered a berm at the breach to be raised 5 feet in February.

The idea was to keep the south end of the lake from flowing into the north end.

Nathan Anderson, who works with Union Pacific, said his team was excited to help and immediately went to work on the berm.

“We want to be a part of the solution to help preserve this fragile environmental area,” Anderson said. “We have a full-time staff of seven people who know this causeway like they know themselves. They built this berm up so we can raise the south end of the lake in a way that addresses the critical environmental concerns.”

Union Pacific has a quarry near the causeway where crews loaded rocks and fill onto train cars and brought that material to the berm to raise it.

“They are almost like landscape artists,” said Anderson. “They are placing rocks where it matters. They are placing rocks in places where it will address flow and erosion.”

So far, the efforts have worked.

“We are seeing the salinity drop on the south end of the lake,” Stireman said. “Also, the fact that we have a great snowpack, it is really benefitting the salinity.”

If necessary, the berm could be decreased or even removed, especially with so much snow still in the mountains and a lot of water yet to come down.

“There are scenarios where we can export salt to the north arm where salinity is not a concern. So, at the end of the runoff season, we will evaluate that,” Stireman said.

While the lake is still far from where it should be, this effort to raise the berm has given many people hope for its future.

“It gives us a minute to breathe while we plan for the next year and this coming year, but our guard is still up,” Stireman said. “It has been a good year, but it is going to take a couple of years to get us out of the danger zone.”

(Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV) (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV)

KSL 5 TV Live

Great Salt Lake

Two walking near Great Salt Lake, with dusty air in horizon...

Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune

Great Salt Lake is still blowing dangerous dust

After historic snowfall over the winter, Utahns are breathing a sigh of relief about the Great Salt Lake. But they’d better not breathe too deeply — it still is blowing an immense amount of dangerous dust pollution along the Wasatch Front.

7 days ago

This week on Sunday Edition, Doug discusses the ongoing investigation into the hoax school threats ...

KSL TV

Sunday Edition: Hoax School Threats, GSL Water Levels, Smith’s Ballpark Future

This week on Sunday Edition, Doug discusses the ongoing investigation into the hoax school threats that have been circulating, this year's record-breaking moisture is impacting the water levels of the Great Salt Lake, and how the Ballpark community is getting a say in the future of the Smith's Ballpark.

7 days ago

Brian Steed, former executive director at the Utah Department of Natural Resources, in 2021. Gov. S...

Carter Williams

Former natural resources director tapped to be Utah’s 1st Great Salt Lake commissioner

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is backing the state's former natural resources director to oversee functions related to the Great Salt Lake.

13 days ago

Willard Bay spillway...

Mike Anderson

The Great Salt Lake getting billions of gallons of water

The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District opened up a spillway Thursday that is now releasing billions of gallons of water into the Great Salt Lake.

17 days ago

The Great Salt Lake on Wednesday. Utah researchers say the lake may end up gaining 6 feet between N...

Carter Williams

Record snowpack likely adds 2 years to Great Salt Lake’s long-term outlook, experts say

So how did this year's record snowpack and spring runoff impact the lake's future?

24 days ago

Draining Lake Powell...

Carter Williams, KSL.com and Matt Johnson, KSL TV

Lake Powell could rise 50 to 90 feet over the next few months

Federal water managers say they believe Lake Powell will rise anywhere between 50 and 90 feet this spring and summer after the nation’s second-largest reservoir dropped to its all-time low again earlier this year.

1 month ago

Sponsored Articles

Asian little girl playing arcade game on the computer machines at the shopping mall outlets...

Get Out Pass

Family Fun Activities in Utah You Have to Try This Summer

These family fun activities will entertain you all summer, so if you ever feel stuck in a rut wondering what to do, refer to this guide!

Woman IT specialist in elegant suit working on notebook computer in data center next to server rack...

Les Olson

Your Complete Guide to Outsourcing IT Services

This guide covers everything you need to know about the different benefits of outsourcing IT services to meet your small business needs.

diverse group of friends dance outside under string lights...

Lighting Design

5 Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Lighting

Read for the most frequently asked questions about outdoor lighting to help narrow the search for your home.

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

South end of Great Salt Lake up nearly 4 feet since berm raised in February