Partnerships for research and policy regarding our Great Salt Lake
The USU Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air is deeply involved with efforts by many organizations, agencies, and government leaders to ensure the ecological viability and sustainability of our Great Salt Lake. We partner with the State of Utah Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office, the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, and the Great Salt Lake Strike Team to provide data and research, communication, and recommendations on policy and management practices for this vital body of water.
Publications and Reports on Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake is drying as the water that used to fill it has been claimed for other purposes over the decades. The JQL Institute for Land, Water, and Air has worked with partners around the state to better understand the lake and create a policy assessment to positively impact its future.
January 2024
- Great Salt Lake Strike Team Data and Insights Summary
- Great Salt Lake Strike Team Policy Summaries
- The Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office Strategic Plan
December 2023
February 2023
- Great Salt Lake Strike Team partnership
- Great Salt Lake Policy Assessment, produced by the strike team
December 2022
Tip of the Iceberg: Great Salt Lake Issues are Utah Issues
Dozens of USU researchers are working to understand broader issues that can positively impact the Great Salt Lake:
- Understanding Utah’s drought patterns
- Tracking water availability in the state
- Managing Utah’s watershed
- Creating residential and agricultural water conservation strategies
- Measuring water quality and usability
- Measuring air quality
- Determining outdoor recreation impacts
- Understanding ecological impacts
- Outlining economic benefits of natural resources
Great Salt Lake Action: A Sea Change For The State
Attention and commitment to the Great Salt Lake is not only saving the lake, but it is laying foundation for solutions to other critical issues on the horizon:
- Changing snowpack and snowmelt trends
- Reservoir capacity and water storage
- Northern Utah river and stream health
- Agricultural irrigation technology development
- Utah Lake water quality and management challenges
- Salt Lake Valley air quality
- Understanding viable change strategies