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LDS environmentalists want their institution to address the Great Salt Lake’s collapse


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5 minutes ago, JarMan said:

Currently the lake is covering about 920 square miles of lake bed. At its peak in the 80s it covered about 3,300 square miles. That means we already have 2,380 square miles of exposed lake bed potentially containing harmful minerals. My scenario outlined above shows than in the very worst case scenario, the lake could recede to 800 square miles in five years. This is a reduction of 120 square miles when we already have a redcution of 2,380. So it would be a mere 5% increase in exposed lake bed, which could produce about 5% more dust. We definitely need to study this issue, but the truth is we don't understand airborne dust from the lakebed that well yet. The situation doesn't warrant the frenzied panic being spread in the media.

The north arm already is dead and has been for decades because of the railway causeway. The south arm could reach a point where brine shrimp would be significantly reduced. And that would effect the ecosystem. But this would be temporary. As I explained earlier, natural variations in hydrologyy over the last 40 years have caused enormous fluctuation in the lake. We just happen to be looking at it right now from the low point. The fluctuations will continue and the brine shrimp and ecosystem will recover. This has happened many times over the last several thousand years and it will happen again.

The economy is much more effected by the water uses that occur upstream than it is to the incidental benefits of having the lake there. Another way to look at it is that in order to increase flows to the lake, some sort of economic activity that uses water would have to cease. There are some small exceptions like areas of turf that do nothing but consume water, but that is already being addressed. To get serious, someone would have to buy out hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. That creates a whole new set of problems and we need to be careful that the cure is not worse than the disease.

You're overgeneralizing about climate effects. The Great Salt Lake Basin has not been effected by climate change like other area such as the Colorado River Basin. It's positioned right between a zone to the NW that is expected to get wetter and a zone to the SE that is expected to be drier. There is a real danger of over-reaction. Some of the statutory proposals I'm hearing would have far-reaching and disastrous results.

You may just be waking up to this issue because of the barrage of media. I've been studying the lake closely for several years from a scientific/engineering perspective. I live a mile away from it and drive along it everyday on my way to work and back.

Well, my bad. I will accept the study you've done JarMan. And I really like your outlook but hopefully you're right! I think some fear needs to be instilled in some before they forget and keep over using their water. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

For those interested there's a good article on CNN about the dangers posed by a drying out Great Salt Lake on their website today.

“This is an ecological disaster that will become a human health disaster,” warned Bonnie Baxter, director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. “We know about dust storms, we know about particulate pollution, we know about heavy metals and how they’re bad for humans,” she told CNN. “We see a crisis that is imminent.”

----

The more than 2 million people who live in Salt Lake City and along the Wasatch Front from Ogden to Provo already suffer some of the worst winter air pollution in the country, with tiny particulates forming dense brown clouds. Further drying of the Great Salt Lake could lead to more pollution, Lin and Steed said.

As a cautionary tale, they point to California’s Owens Lake, which was notoriously drained by developers in the 1920s to build Los Angeles and inspired the watery, 1974 noir “Chinatown.” By 1926, the terminal lake was dry and producing billowing clouds of fine, toxic dust which became known as “Keeler fog” after it forced people in the town of Keeler to relocate.

A century later, every time an Angeleno pays a water bill, a portion goes to clean up the mistake with a dust mitigation program run by the city’s Department of Water and Power after the city took responsibility. After decades of moving water and gravel to control the dust, the bill for draining Owens Lake is $2.5 billion and rising.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/us/utah-great-salt-lake-dust-pollution-weir-wxc/index.html

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I almost forgot this one from the Deseret News yesterday

New analysis says Great Salt Lake can be saved, but not without great effort, and expense

The report details six specific recommendations for gubernatorial and legislative support in the coming year:

  • Leverage the wet years.
  • Set a lake elevation range goal.
  • Invest in conservation.
  • Invest in water monitoring and modeling.
  • Develop a holistic water management plan.
  • Request an in-depth analysis of policy options.

----

Researchers broke down the water usage of the Great Salt Lake at between 67% and 73% due to humans, 15% to 23% lost to natural variability, and anywhere from 8% to 11% lost to a warming climate.

 

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/2/8/23588664/great-salt-lake-water-drought-saline-ecoystem-policy-conservation

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2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

Listened to this Mormon Land podcast the other day and someone mentioned how the church could become involved big time by maybe giving callings or setting up a service mission where members could get the message out or do other things to help the Great Salt lake situation.

https://www.sltrib.com/podcasts/mormonland/

That sort of sounds like something outside of the church's area of expertise.  A couple things I would like to see the church do are:

1) As one of the valley's major landowners the church could lead by example in the areas of water conservation and habitat preservation.

2) Offer support to individuals and organizations that are working to solve the problem. 

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2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

Listened to this Mormon Land podcast the other day and someone mentioned how the church could become involved big time by maybe giving callings or setting up a service mission where members could get the message out or do other things to help the Great Salt lake situation.

https://www.sltrib.com/podcasts/mormonland/

That would be hard to finagle I think. Really you need experts to help here. That and money.

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, ksfisher said:

Church of Jesus Christ donating 5.7K water shares to the Great Salt Lake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to donate 5,700 water shares that will send more than 20,000 acre-feet of water to the struggling Great Salt Lake, Utah officials announced Wednesday.

The church's water donation will come from the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company, allowing water to flow to the "critical shoreline and wetland habitat" at Farmington Bay, according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Officials said they believe it is the largest permanent water donation to help the Great Salt Lake, ever.

"This water donation will make a real difference to the lake and the future of our state," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. "The Great Salt Lake is a critical asset environmentally, ecologically and economically, and we all need to work together to protect and preserve it."

The Great Salt Lake reached an all-time low for the second time last year. While it has already risen 1½ feet since then because of strong winter precipitation, experts say it's still well below the level it needs to be to avoid serious consequences.

Utah officials said Wednesday that the church's donation may lead to more partnerships in the future.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50600764/church-of-jesus-christ-donating-57k-water-shares-to-the-great-salt-lake

❤️

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A more complete story in the Deseret News

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/3/15/23641544/church-of-jesus-christ-the-mormons-makes-water-shares-donation-for-the-great-salt-lake

Highlights

“The Great Salt Lake and the ecosystem that depends on it are so important. The church wants to be part of the solution because we all have a responsibility to care for and be good stewards of the natural resources that God has given to us. We invite others to join with us to help,” Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of the church, said in the news release.

The donation is equivalent to over 20,000 acre-feet, DNR said. The church historically used the water for agricultural. Now that water will flow to the lake in perpetuity.

 

The church’s donation, believed to be the largest-ever permanent donation to the Great Salt Lake, ensures water will continue to flow to the lake and preserve critical shoreline and wetland habitat in Farmington Bay, the DNR release said.

 

The news release said the lake contributes $1.9 billion to Utah’s economy (adjusted for inflation), provides over 7,700 jobs, supports 80% of Utah’s valuable wetlands, and provides irreplaceable breeding and stopover habitats for millions of birds to rest and refuel during migration each year. Lake-effect snow also contributes 5 to 10% to Utah’s snowpack.

Edited by ksfisher
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2 hours ago, ksfisher said:

Church of Jesus Christ donating 5.7K water shares to the Great Salt Lake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to donate 5,700 water shares that will send more than 20,000 acre-feet of water to the struggling Great Salt Lake, Utah officials announced Wednesday.

The church's water donation will come from the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company, allowing water to flow to the "critical shoreline and wetland habitat" at Farmington Bay, according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Officials said they believe it is the largest permanent water donation to help the Great Salt Lake, ever.

"This water donation will make a real difference to the lake and the future of our state," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. "The Great Salt Lake is a critical asset environmentally, ecologically and economically, and we all need to work together to protect and preserve it."

The Great Salt Lake reached an all-time low for the second time last year. While it has already risen 1½ feet since then because of strong winter precipitation, experts say it's still well below the level it needs to be to avoid serious consequences.

Utah officials said Wednesday that the church's donation may lead to more partnerships in the future.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50600764/church-of-jesus-christ-donating-57k-water-shares-to-the-great-salt-lake

Ah!  You scooped me!

A few thoughts:

1. Kudos to the Church! Some commentary on this donation here:

Quote

Equivalent to more than 20,000 acre-feet, the gift ensures that water “can continue to flow to the lake in perpetuity,” according to the state Department of Natural Resources. For reference, typical U.S. suburban households use about one acre-foot of water annually.

“This water donation will make a real difference to the lake and the future of our state,” Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said in a statement.

“The Great Salt Lake is a critical asset environmentally, ecologically and economically, and we all need to work together to protect and preserve it,” he added.

In accompanying remarks on Twitter, he stressed that the parties have “been working on this for a long time.”

Crediting recent investments from the state, policy changes and this gift, Cox said that “the future of the lake has never been more secure.”

And here:

Quote

The Utah Department of Natural Resources will manage the donation, working in collaboration with the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust.

Joel Ferry, executive director of the Utah DNR, said the donation will help the Great Salt Lake in perpetuity.

“This donation is invaluable because it’s a permanent, dedicated source of water that will benefit the lake year after year. I appreciate the collaborative effort among the Church, DNR and conservation groups. We look forward to continuing to work together to safeguard the lake.”

Marcelle Shoop, Executive Director of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, praised the Church’s decision to donate.

“This generous donation is an exceptional contribution to ensuring water flows to preserve the lake and its special habitats, while also benefiting Utah communities,” she said. “We are extremely appreciative of this commitment being made by the Church, the efforts of DNR and the collaborative approach to addressing the water needs of the lake.”

And here:

Quote

The Great Salt Lake last year hit its lowest point in recorded history as a result of water diversion, drought and a changing climate. It presents an existential threat to northern Utah, with toxic dust storms, reduced snowpack and harms to public health and wildlife. Political leaders in the state have reacted with alarm, passing water conservation bills and spending nearly $1 billion over the past two years.

But this past legislative session, environmental groups said that while lawmakers took huge steps for the long-term viability of the lake, they did not do enough in the short term to get water into the Great Salt Lake. Bills that would have done exactly that failed to pass and it was criticized as a "missed opportunity." A major bill passed in 2022 created a multi-million dollar trust run by the Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy with the goal of buying or leasing water rights for the lake itself.

In a statement to FOX 13 News, House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, who has personally championed bills to save the Great Salt Lake, said he was thrilled with the announcement.

"The donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is beyond incredible and much appreciated," the Speaker said. "Saving the Great Salt Lake and enacting greater conservation practices is a statewide effort that requires commitment from all Utahns – individuals, businesses, and organizations. We are grateful for the Church’s willingness to do their part to help Utah’s water supply for years to come."

2. Per this state website, the water will come from the Jordan River.  It was previously used for irrigation.

3. Alas, the Great Salt Lake purportedly has 4.539 cubic miles of water by volume.  20,000 acre-feet works apparently works out to about 0.0059185518 of a cubic mile. Put another way, the lake loses about 2.6 billion gallons of water to evaporation each day, or 949 billion gallons per year.  The Church's donation works out to be about 6.5 billion gallons, which is equivalent to about 2.5 days of water lost to evaporation.  I say this not to diminish the generosity of the Church (the donation is, after all, in perpetuity), but to note that the problems associated with the Great Salt Lake will require a lot more work to address.

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited by smac97
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3 minutes ago, smac97 said:

3. Alas, the Great Salt Lake purportedly has 4.539 cubic miles of water by volume.  20,000 acre-feet works apparently works out to about 0.0059185518 of a cubic mile. Put another way, the lake loses about 2.6 billion gallons of water to evaporation each day, or 949 billion gallons per year.  The Church's donation works out to be about 6.5 billion gallons, which is equivalent to about 2.5 days of water lost to evaporation.  I say this not to diminish the generosity of the Church (the donation is, after all, in perpetuity), but to note that the problems associated with the Great Salt Lake will require a lot more work to address.

Yes, still lots of work to do.

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Meh!  Who cares?  They're all bigots, still!

(I'm sure there are some people out there who are monuments to the old saw that ends, "... and some of the people you just can't please none of the time!") :unknw: 

I mean, come on! <_<  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its powers-that-be couldn't sell those water shares and give the money to the poor?  $43-million-plus would feed a lot of hungry mouths! :rolleyes: 

Edited by Kenngo1969
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2 hours ago, ksfisher said:

Church of Jesus Christ donating 5.7K water shares to the Great Salt Lake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to donate 5,700 water shares that will send more than 20,000 acre-feet of water to the struggling Great Salt Lake, Utah officials announced Wednesday.

The church's water donation will come from the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company, allowing water to flow to the "critical shoreline and wetland habitat" at Farmington Bay, according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Officials said they believe it is the largest permanent water donation to help the Great Salt Lake, ever.

"This water donation will make a real difference to the lake and the future of our state," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. "The Great Salt Lake is a critical asset environmentally, ecologically and economically, and we all need to work together to protect and preserve it."

The Great Salt Lake reached an all-time low for the second time last year. While it has already risen 1½ feet since then because of strong winter precipitation, experts say it's still well below the level it needs to be to avoid serious consequences.

Utah officials said Wednesday that the church's donation may lead to more partnerships in the future.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50600764/church-of-jesus-christ-donating-57k-water-shares-to-the-great-salt-lake

That is about 0.067% (1/1500) of the GSL volume [20,000 acre feet donation / 3,000,000 acre feet GSL]; 0.0931% (1/1095) of the GSL shortfall (75% total volume has been lost). Good luck, Utah!

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5 minutes ago, CV75 said:

That is about 0.067% (1/1500) of the GSL volume [20,000 acre feet donation / 3,000,000 acre feet GSL]; 0.0931% (1/1095) of the GSL shortfall (75% total volume has been lost). Good luck, Utah!

It's more than if the church had donated nothing.  Everything helps.

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This state website provides some further information:

1. An email from the Church from April 2022 states that the 5,781 shares "are quantified at 3.582 AF/share."  That works out to 20,707.5 acre feet.

2. The above email also shows that the Church has owned these shares going back to 2006.

3. Per this email it appears the Church submitted a 7-year "non-use" application (water shares are often subject to "use 'em or lose 'em" requirements).  Per this document, the request was approved.

Thanks,

-Smac

 

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10 minutes ago, Kenngo1969 said:

Meh!  Who cares?  They're all bigots, still!

(I'm sure there are some people out there who are monuments to the old saw that ends, "... and some of the people you just can't please none of the time!") :unknw: 

I mean, come on! <_<  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its powers-that-be couldn't sell those water shares and give the money to the poor?  $43-million-plus would feed a lot of hungry mouths! :rolleyes: 

It would be nice to keep the conversation positive.

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20 minutes ago, smac97 said:

I was not able to immediately find information about the valuation of the water shares.  This website, from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, lists valuations of water shares as follows:

The South Jordan Canal Company sources its water from the Jordan River.  Utah Lake Distributing Company sources its water from the Jordan River and Utah Lake.  The average valuation by CUWCD of shares from these sources is $7,537.50.

Per this state website, the Church's shares in North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company total 5,781 shares, which at the above valuation would be worth $43,574,287.50.

Wow.

Thanks,

-Smac

I think this is a parallel to the magnitude of barriers to efficacy in helping the poor, which is why the self-reliance programs are so essential. 

At 4 acre-feet per share @ $8K per share, 7,500,000 shares are needed, with a price tag of $60B.

Edited by CV75
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8 minutes ago, smac97 said:

This state website provides some further information:

1. An email from the Church from April 2022 states that the 5,781 shares "are quantified at 3.582 AF/share."  That works out to 20,707.5 acre feet.

2. The above email also shows that the Church has owned these shares going back to 2006.

3. Per this email it appears the Church submitted a 7-year "non-use" application (water shares are often subject to "use 'em or lose 'em" requirements).  Per this document, the request was approved.

Thanks,

-Smac

 

Sounds like a "rainy day" approach -- very good!

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10 minutes ago, CV75 said:

That is about 0.067% (1/1500) of the GSL volume [20,000 acre feet donation / 3,000,000 acre feet GSL]; 0.0931% (1/1095) of the GSL shortfall (75% total volume has been lost). Good luck, Utah!

Hmm.  From this website:

Quote

 The lake has gone through drastic changes since 1875, when it was first monitored by the United States Geological Survey: A drop of around 8.5 feet in elevation from a historic high of 4,211.6 feet (covering 3,300 square miles of surface area) to a historic low of 4,191.35 (covering 950 square miles of surface area) resulted in a loss of about 44% of the lake's surface area.

From this website:

Quote

wrcr13603-fig-0002.png
Historic Great Salt Lake levels. The lake was divided into north and south arms by a railroad causeway in 1959.
...
wrcr13603-fig-0003.png
Annual average streamflow input to the Great Salt Lake.
...
wrcr13603-fig-0004.png
Annual total precipitation onto the Great Salt Lake from PRISM.
...
wrcr13603-fig-0006.png
Great Salt Lake inputs summary.
...
wrcr13603-fig-0010.png
The Great Salt Lake's annual evaporation. Total lake evaporation calculated from mass balance, climate based on salinity, and climate based on freshwater conditions.
...
wrcr13603-fig-0011.png
Observed and modeled monthly Great Salt Lake level. Modeled monthly Great Salt Lake levels were initialized on 1 October 1949.

Thanks,

-Smac

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1 hour ago, InCognitus said:

I'm impressed and unaware that the Church had so much in liquid assets.

Pun intended? ;) 

Sorry.  :unknw:  Couldn't resist! ;) 

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