SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — Thanks to last season's epic snowpack, the control gates at Utah Lake were opened Thursday to allow water to release downstream and potentially benefit the Great Salt Lake.
Officials said the record water year in 2023 caused Utah Lake to approach "full" levels. Once those levels are reached, it is required by the state to open and regulate the gates to prevent flooding in and around Utah Lake.
While the exact amount of water to be released is not known, the Utah Lake Water Users Association believes it may be as much as 300 million gallons per day.
Factors such as the weather will determine how much water will actually makes it to the Great Salt Lake, which still desperately needs it, even after the record snow.
"Utah needs to maximize the amount of water that gets to the Great Salt Lake in wet years, like the one that resulted from last year’s record snowpack,” said Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed. “The fastest way to get water to the lake is from abundant precipitation. However, conservation helps keep water in our reservoirs and stretch the water supply.”
Should the snow and rain continue as it has this week, the gates could remain open even longer.
