SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Reclamation has announced a $50 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act for a water delivery program aimed at ensuring an ongoing, resilient water supply in the Basin. This paired with a leveraged $50 million from the state of Utah means that this will be a $100 million investment in the Great Salt Lake.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and Utah Department of Natural Resources plan to utilize the funding to enhance and expand their ongoing agricultural optimization efforts. The funding will also allow the state to implement the program to lease water and then deliver conserved water to the Great Salt Lake thus reducing water losses throughout the basin.
“We recognize the local commitment to conservation of the Great Salt Lake and make this investment in an effort to slow the long-term decline of the water level,” stated Camille Calimlim Touton, the Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner. “The impacts of drought to the area are evident and we must work with the state and local community to conserve this important water body to stop negative impacts to the local environment and wildlife habitat, the agriculture ecosystem services, recreation, and industry.”
The bureau says that currently, the Great Salt Lake is roughly one-third of its normal size. Officials have adopted a strategic plan to address the issue through both short-term and long-term actions. One of the objectives of their plan is to secure additional water, which this funding will support. Another objective is to assist in the development of water-saving infrastructure.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes an overall $550 million for the Bureau of Reclamation to implement domestic water supply projects and $4 billion for water conservation and ecosystem projects in the Colorado River Basin and other basins, like Great Salt Lake, experiencing similar levels of long-term drought.
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.
