SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — Hendra Suherman noticed the Jordan River has been a little higher than usual lately.
The angler, who regularly fishes for bass or catfish along the river, has seen the river when it's nearly dry. This year, there's increased water going to the Great Salt Lake from Utah Lake. It's thanks to a combination of donations and leases from a special trust created by Utah political leaders to secure water for the Great Salt Lake.
"It’s really better for the fisherman," laughed Suherman. "So we can go fish every day."
The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust announced on Monday it had secured roughly 10,000 acre-feet of water. Through the combination of purchases and donations, the water will go 50 miles up the Jordan River from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake.
"It’s a really important time. It’s fall migration. There are still many species migrating in the wetlands around the Great Salt Lake," said Marcelle Shoop, the Audubon Society's saline lakes coordinator and head of the trust.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District contributed the water (the trust leased the rest). The trust, which is run by the Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, was created by the Utah State Legislature with $40 million and a mission to either buy, lease or secure donations of water for the Great Salt Lake.
"It’s new water going to the lake," Shoop told FOX 13 News on Monday. "If we weren’t doing this transaction, this water wouldn’t be going down the Jordan River into the lake at this time."
The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District contributed 5,300-acre feet of water. It's roughly the same amount that its customers conserved over the past year by reducing their outdoor water use and looking for new ways to save.
"People can make a difference," Alan Packard, the general manager of the district, told FOX 13 News on Monday. "Our combined efforts working together to save water, can result in releases to Great Salt Lake."
The water would have otherwise stayed in Utah Lake, Packard said, acting as a "hedge" to store more in Deer Creek and Jordanelle reservoirs. Those sites are doing fine thanks to Utahns' conservation efforts.
"We’re excited for the late season release to really benefit the Jordan River ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake. Normally the river is close to being dry. With this late-season release, it’s going to enhance the environment and it’s positive for the community," he said.
The Great Salt Lake is starting to show signs of recovery from its historic low in 2022, driven by water diversions, drought and impacts from climate change. It has risen about six feet thanks to a pair of strong winters, but has declined again in summer evaporation. It remains several feet below what is considered the start of a healthy ecological range.
But Utah Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Ferry is optimistic. He is seeing signs of recovery.
"The north arm and south arm are now within just a foot-and-a-half of each other. You’ll see that equilibrium," he said.
Alarmed by the lake's declines, Utah political leaders have declared it a top priority of the state and spent more than $1 billion on water conservation measures. As the lake continues to fluctuate and the state's population grows, Ferry said conservation will remain critical.
"We pray for these big winters, we can’t always rely on them," he told FOX 13 News. "Trends are looking like it might be a drier, warmer winter. So we have got to continue to focus on conservation."
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.
