FARMINGTON BAY, Utah — A weather satellite captured a large plume of dust blowing off the shrinking Great Salt Lake and into nearby communities.
The image — and recent wind storms hitting northern Utah — have underscored the need for increased monitoring of potentially hazardous dust blowing off hundreds of miles of exposed lake bed into Utah's most heavily populated areas.
"I think there’s pretty good evidence that we’re seeing more dust events, especially dust coming from the Great Salt Lake, since about 2010," said Dr. Derek Mallia, a research assistant professor at the University of Utah's Department of Atmospheric Sciences, who is part of a group studying the impacts of lake dust.
The rare image, shared with FOX 13 News recently, was taken from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite on January 20. It doesn't show clouds (which usually obscure such a thing), but instead shows dust lifting off of the Great Salt Lake near Farmington Bay and then drifting southeast toward Salt Lake City.
The Great Salt Lake hit a record low water level in 2022 as a result of water diversions, impacts from drought and a changing climate. The lake's decline has the potential to be an environmental, public health and economic catastrophe. The lake helps generate snowpack for drinking water, it contributes roughly $2 billion to the local economy and the majority of the state's population is around it. The Great Salt Lake has risen a bit thanks to a pair of record-breaking winters, but Utah has slipped back into drought conditions.
One of the most concerning aspects of the lake's decline is the exposed lake bed and the potential for "toxic dust" (arsenic is among the naturally-occurring minerals in the lake bed). Research is under way currently to determine how much exposure to heavy metals in the dust is harmful to people and the environment. But scientists point out that dust particles themselves can be harmful when they penetrate the lungs.
On Monday at Farmington Bay, FOX 13 News cameras captured dust from exposed lake bed blowing toward Farmington, Kaysville and communities north ahead of a winter storm.
"Farmington Bay and Bear River Bay are the big dust hotspots for the Great Salt Lake and, unfortunately, those are areas closer to communities," Dr. Mallia said.
As part of his research, Dr. Mallia has created a map that shows communities along the east side of the Great Salt Lake are seeing more dust.
People who live near the lake, like Kathleen Bailey of Bountiful, have concerns.
"Whether it’s inversion or particulate matter from cars or other sources or dust from the lake, either one is a concern," she told FOX 13 News while on a walk at Farmington Bay on Monday.
Alarmed by the Great Salt Lake's decline, Utah political leaders have passed dozens of bills aimed at getting more water into the lake (which would cover up the dust hotspots) and allocated more than $1 billion in funding for water conservation efforts. This year, however, House Speaker Mike Schultz put a "pause" on major water bills to determine what is working and what isn't. While some impactful water bills did make it through this year's legislative session, the Speaker's decision to not be as full-throated left environmental groups frustrated.
A bleak budget year also led to a significant shortfall for dust monitoring. Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek, pushed for $600,000 for air quality monitors specifically for Great Salt Lake dust in nearby communities. After initially getting told he would get no money, legislative leaders reversed course in the final days of the 2025 Utah State Legislature.
"A little money, $50,000 ongoing," Rep. Owens said. "It really should have been $600,000 ongoing to make sure we were getting real-time data on the dust blowing off the lake."
Utah's Department of Environmental Quality told FOX 13 News it has cobbled together about $150,000 for Great Salt Lake dust monitoring and will work with the Great Salt Lake Commissioner's Office (which is tasked with coming up with a plan to save the lake) to find more sources of money.
Rep. Owens said he would try again next year for more money.
"We’ve got to get real-time data going so we have a better understanding of what we’re breathing," he said.
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.
