Great Salt Lake reached another historic low level in October.
In order to keep Great Salt Lake from turning into a toxic dust bowl, the Bear River has to keep flowing into it, but a proposed multi-million dollar Bear River Development Project would divert 20% of the Bear River as municipal water for the Wasatch Front.
The problem is, we live in a desert. We can’t squander Bear River water and also have a functioning Great Salt Lake ecosystem with migratory birds, boating, brine shrimp, lake-effect snow and all that good stuff.
A new Bear River Coalition, led by the Utah Rivers Council, is leading efforts to save the Bear River and Great Salt Lake.
Bear River Coalition: savethebearriver.org
Amy Brunvand is an academic librarian who currently works in the University of Utah Sustainability Office, coordinating sustainability education, research and initiatives at the University.