The state is ignoring the diversion problem
Salt Lake City Weekly called out the State of Utah’s handling of the Great Salt Lake as a clear “miss” in its Hits and Misses column—and we couldn’t agree more. As the article points out, lawmakers were briefly alarmed when water levels reached a crisis point, but instead of implementing meaningful policy changes, they leaned heavily on voluntary measures and surface-level solutions. Three years later, water diversions upstream continue at unsustainable levels, and the lake is still in serious trouble.
Our own Dr. Brian Moench was quoted in the piece, highlighting a truth state leaders continue to sidestep: “The state ignores the massive diversion of inlets to the lake.” These diversions—primarily for water-intensive agriculture like alfalfa, much of which is shipped overseas—are the single biggest reason the lake is drying up. Meanwhile, elected officials focus on unproven engineering schemes or simply hope the weather will change.
This pattern of delay and deflection is exactly why we filed a lawsuit against the state. Utah’s leaders are failing in their legal and moral duty to protect the Great Salt Lake. Instead of regulating excessive water use or prioritizing the lake’s survival, they’ve largely left the fate of this ecosystem—and the health of surrounding communities—to chance.
The science is clear, and the clock is ticking. We need real action now to reverse decades of mismanagement and restore water flows to the lake.