Document Type

Report

Publisher

Utah State University

Publication Date

7-2025

First Page

1

Last Page

4

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Abstract

The Great Salt Lake provides several benefits for the state of Utah. It supports industry, recreational activities, and aquaculture. It also provides wetland habitat to twelve million migratory birds.1 Due to drought induced by climate change and human water use, the lake has been shrinking rapidly in a process known as desiccation. The desiccation threatens the lake’s economic and ecological benefits while also posing other potential challenges. Dust from the dry lakebed may also cause health challenges for humans, as the dust contains harmful amounts of arsenic, lithium, copper, and other metals.2

Utah’s ability to combat desiccation of the Great Salt Lake relies heavily on the public’s awareness of the brewing ecological disaster. The cost, resources, and sacrifice required to maintain the lake may not be well received by Utahns who are not aware of the problem or its effects. The 2023 Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) gathered data to gauge the public’s understanding of the desiccation and provide insights into what demographic groups have more or less awareness of the problem.

Comments

Funding by the USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), Center for Intersectional Gender Studies & Research, Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, & Air, and from CHaSS Alumni, Jorrien & Tiera Peterson, and their company Made by Fell

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