There are countless reasons why the shrinking lake is harmful—far too many to detail here—but these are the most significant ones with broader consequences.

The Air we Breathe

When the lake recedes, it exposes lake bed, which dries up under the sun, and eventually gets blown into the air as dust. This dust is toxic and arsenic-laden. It is unhealthy for people to breathe.

Animals and Ecosystems

The Great Salt Lake is an oasis for birds. Over 12 million birds from 339 species use The Great Salt Lake and nearby wetlands. These birds rely on the brine shrimp and brine flies living in The Great Salt Lake. If the lake continues to recede, this crucial stopover for birds will be decimated.

Tourism and Snowfall

The Wasatch Mountains, which stare lovingly at The Great Salt Lake acrossthe Salt Lake Valley, are an amazing place to recreate. In winter, they are aworld famous destination for skiing. In 23-24 6.5 million visitors came to SLC to ski. It is a huge industry that massively boosts our economy. The health of our lake is directly tied to the success of the industry. The reason we have what our license plate has coined ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth’, is because of lake effect snow. The unique, light, powdery snow that we experience surrounding SLC will be no more if the lake continues to shrink. This will decimate our ski and tourism industry.