Air Pollution from Drying Lake Dust
A study just published by researchers at BYU shows that 90% of the dust that contributes to Wasatch Front air pollution comes from drying lake beds, like the Great Salt Lake and Sevier Dry Lake.
“The Great Salt Lake reached historic low levels in recent years and continues to dry as a result of drought and water diversions. As water levels decrease, the exposed area of dry lakebed increases, creating major sources of mineral dust. Declining water levels are a major concern for scientists and the general public alike, but air quality is often overlooked as one of the potentially harmful consequences of receding lakes.”
This is why UPHE and many other groups are opposed to the Bear River Project, because it would drain even more of the Bear River inlet to the Great Salt Lake. It’s another “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” idea from developers in the legislature.