A snowy winter helped Great Salt Lake water levels rise 3 feet above historic low


Thanks to record snowfall, the Great Salt Lake's water levels are rising — welcome news to researchers who issued a bleak report in January, warning that the lake was on track to disappear in the next five years.
In November, the Great Salt Lake — home to brine shrimp, amphibians, birds, plants, and reptiles — hit a record low of 4,188.6 feet above sea level, Brigham Young University researchers said, losing more than 70 percent of its water since 1850. The Great Salt Lake is fed by three rivers that rely on snow runoff, and in its report, the BYU team said unsustainable water use, water being diverted away for agriculture and business, and drought is "destroying" the lake. Without strict water conservation efforts, the report said, the Great Salt Lake would not make it.
Utah had a very snowy winter, with eight ski resorts receiving record snowfall. As of April 5, the Great Salt Lake has risen three feet since November, and in the next few months, as the snowpack melts, will fill up even more, with Utah's Division of Water Resources saying the lake level could increase by three to four feet. This year's snowpack is "nothing short of miraculous," BYU ecologist Ben Abbott, lead author of the January report, told The Washington Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The lake is still six feet below what Abbott said is "the minimum acceptable elevation for the lake's ecological and economic health," and in order to fully replenish the Great Salt Lake, "we need to reduce our consumptive water use by 30 to 50 percent." Candice Hasenyager, director of Utah's Division of Water Resources, told the Post that the situation has definitely improved at the Great Salt Lake and should be celebrated, but "we must continue to prioritize water conservation efforts and make sustainable water management decisions for the future of this vital ecosystem and for water users throughout the basin."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
El Palace Barcelona: old-world luxury in the heart of the city
The Week Recommends This historic hotel is set within a former Ritz outpost moments from the Passeig de Gràcia
-
The best history books to read in 2025
The Week Recommends These fascinating deep-dives are perfect for history buffs
-
July 4 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include the danger of talking politics at a family picnic, and disappearing Medicaid entitlements
-
Row over pole-dancing skeleton
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read