As Utah's Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Economic Crisis Looms | WSJ

[@samwalters1]

I'm dissapointed that this video didn't point out that agriculture is taking 80% of the water runoff from great salt lakes, and a lot of that is growing crops that are extremely poorly suited for our environment here. Alfalfa farmers in Utah are using insane amounts of water to grow a crop that accounts for 1% of our Utah GDP - 80% of the water for 1% of Utah GDP is just a terrible investment. Also when you look at the fact a large portion of the alfalfa is exported to China we are literally destroying the great salt lake and exporting its water to China. Utah's governor is an alfalfa farmer himself so we don't have much hope around here

[@DK-wr9nd]

This is a very critical point. Alfalfa earns only $175 per 1 acre-ft of water (Almond is notorious for using massive amount of water, but makes over $1,000 per 1 ac-ft of water). While there's so much more to talk about....long story short; such agricultural practice cause way more harm than good to society, and is no longer sustainable under changing climate. The world keeps changing and everything is about adaptation, and farmers can't be the exception. Plus, such environmental change has been foreseen for at least 20 years.

[@chikipichi5280]

But if Utah doesn't grow it who will take over

[@flaviosabe]

Same thing is happening in Brazil. The country growing increasingly huge amounts of soy to export to China, which is used as animal feed there, and destroying entire ecosystems in doing so. It's virtually exporting the water used to produce it. All this while over half of its population is facing some level of food insecurity.

[@chrispnw2547]

This video feels more like propaganda than information. The presentation acts as if this trend was not known a decade ago yet the leaders of the region kept building and expanding the demand on the finite water resources. Maybe a solution is to Scale Back the growth in the region!

[@samwalters1]

@@chrispnw2547 Honestly the growth would be absolutely fine, we could support like 10x the current population even if water consumption stayed the same for residential users. However, we are using so much of the water on agriculture that isn't sustainable in our region and often they are using outdated extremely wasteful irrigation methods on top of it.

[@Lethoras]

Turns out running water intensive agriculture in arid environments is a bad idea... who could have guessed?

[@tira2145]

Yep, but I would rather produce food then use on golf courses.

[@kinfongyeung5400]

facts can be easily blinded by money

[@everythingisfine9988]

Gasp! You just might be onto something 🤔

[@pluckybellhop66]

@@kinfongyeung5400 That's why California has an Almond problem.

[@Ryan-gx4ce]

@@pluckybellhop66 don't blame the almonds. Blame the cows

[@CaseNumber00]

The annoying thing about watching these videos is people and business owners complaining about an impending disaster but not discussing cutbacks they can make to mitigate the problem.

[@auroramothergoddess]

Rich people will ride it until the wheels fall off

[@Al3xki]

Exactly! If a business is using the open-air evaporation method (literally a pre-industrial approach) to extract minerals then they should be working on an alternative instead of moaning while they continue extracting the water.

[@debbiew.7716]

Have you been in their business meetings?

[@Lanny2010]

It's not about raising water prices for regular citizens. The alfalfa farmers use the most water. Two-thirds of all water diverted in Utah go to growing hay (said Gabriel Lozada, professor at UofU), and because farmers buy water rights, they don't have to pay based on consumption.

[@PG-3462]

As an outsider who went to Utah and Colorado twice, I think the amount of water that's wasted is crazy. People water their perfectly green lawn almost every night during several hours. Thus, it is in fact also about raising water prices for regular citizens just as much as for other industries. The average citizen of Utah and Colorado consume 4,8 times more water on a daily basis than people in my country, which is a developped country of Western Europe.

[@Lanny2010]

@@PG-3462 Agree that there's a lot of waste from regular citizens and businesses. But my point is that even with raised water prices, the resulting saving won't be effective. On the other hand, regulating water usage for farming will make a big difference quickly.

[@PG-3462]

@@Lanny2010 But it's still a waste for useless reasons, and this waste must stop. The problem with climate change and pollution in general is that while everyone know that we must do something, everyone shift the blame on others and on forces out of their control to avoid having to make efforts of their own. In reality, every change has an impact, because pollution and all related problems come from the addition of millions of individual behaviors. Of course, one person driving an SUV or one person watering his lawn doesn't have an impact, but when you multiply this by hundreds of millions, it has a massive impact.

[@kristinab1078]

What about the exponential growth in the population the last 35 years? The farmers have been there for generations and many have sold off to build yet another residential area. Let's mention the expanses of green lawn while we're at it. Everyone loves to point to the farmers b/c it takes the pressure off everyone else, but many of those farms are generational and have been there long before northern Utah became wall to wall cities/towns.

[@kristinab1078]

@@PG-3462 Exactly. Everyone loves to blame the farmers, many of them generational, rather than considering the huge boom in the population and their green lawns.

[@luxuryhub1323]

Scientists have been warning about this since I was a child and I have grey hair coming in. Unfortunately, sometime in the early 80s, we went from a country that could surmount any challenge, to a helpless country that could only address issues if the solutions were profitable enough to a small group of the wealthy. We get what we deserve.

[@jameswyre6480]

Truth.

[@josueramirez7247]

I had no idea that scientists had been warning about the Great Salt Lake for so long. I think I only heard about this problem since around 2020, but of course, climate change caused by GHGs has been known about for a long time.

[@MrSupernova111]

Crony capitalism took over the country. That's the real problem.

[@johnstrawb3521]

No, 'we' don't get what we deserve, as 'we' don't have any recourse short of a General Strike, and people are kept afraid and ignorant.

[@realnapster1522]

Billionaires rule this country now. Ordinary citizens have no power. Politicians are rich themselves. Future is bleak.

[@sebastiandiaz3265]

86% of the water supply is going to animal agriculture that only is around 1.9% of the total economy of Utah. Seems like an easy answer

[@LK-pc4sq]

No its not. What is the latitude of SLC? get back with me. Ill show you why this is important! its a world wide problem!

[@fishwithfeet7206]

Ok vegan

[@CristanMeijer]

Seems like an easy answer indeed. Funny that it is in the pie chart at 2:54, but otherwise not mentioned in this video.

[@A_J502]

Stop eating animals.

[@kristinab1078]

I remember when Utah had agriculture everywhere...fruit trees, fields of vegetables, and some live stock. Utah was doing fine until the population boomed. Now those former orchards and fields are residential areas. The huge increase in the population during the last 35 years seems more of the culprit here. Utah has been growing exponentially and water demands along with it. It's just too many people in an arid region.

[@D_Tuned]

Utah has an alfalfa farmer for a governor. This ensures the lake's demise.

[@kreedence_art266]

I hate him, and I hated his predecessor. Im pretty sure he stole the election, nobody voted for Cox. We only have one gay bar in the state🤷🤣

[@jeremysmith9694]

@@kreedence_art266 I voted for Cox. I assure you more gay bars will do nothing to help the water problem, or any problem for that matter.

[@rmrbush]

Just gotta pray for rain, pretty easy.

[@ian-j]

Most of Utahs water usage is from agriculture (82%). This is where lawmakers need to focus their efforts. There should not be as many farms as there are in a literal desert.

[@quiet451]

This is 100% true, but Utah also uses the most water of any state for public supply customers, so domestic and commercial use also needs to be a big focus. It should be an effort in all areas of use.

[@ThriftyCHNR]

100% spot on!

[@A_J502]

What’s your source?

[@twostop6895]

@@julm7744 still a low population state at only 3.5 million, slightly more than rural Iowa

[@chessdad182]

@@julm7744 That is religion for you.

[@jongurr2811]

I live in the salt lake valley and have done landscaping for 10 years. I personally think that the main offender of water waste is huge green lawn's. So much water is wasted on yards and acres of grass. We live in the desert. We must design our landscapes to fit our climate.

[@julianshepherd2038]

Good point. in Scotland I use a mix with clover so when there is a drought, still rare, it stays green.

[@johnn3542]

Maybe as a landscaper you could design landscapes to fit the climate. Like YOU are part of the problem.

[@bl00df4rt]

Golf courses. If you must have them, they should reflect the natural landscapes

[@paulvarjak7378]

@@johnn3542 A landscaper or landscaping company can suggest 'zeroscape' to customers until they are blue in the face. But maybe 1 in 100 would ever consider having a rock and cactus filled front yard rather than a lush grass lawn if that is an option. I find the tone of your comment entirely inappropriate and clearly lacking of any understanding of reality. What exactly is a landscaper supposed to do according to you? A landscaper does what the customer wants. Is a landscaper supposed to simply ignore the customer when they say 'put in Kentucky blue grass' and just put in gravel instead? Seriously, blaming a landscaper as "part of the problem" is just pathetic on your part.

[@paulvarjak7378]

Colorado has the same issues. Lots of people, and a larger percentage of wealthier people who want green grass... and who don't care if their water bill goes up 50%. There just isn't enough water for it long term. In general they do a better job in Albuquerque, where most people just end up with a gravel filled yard rather than a lawn. Its ugly in most people's opinion, but there just isn't water.

[@cesarzx972]

Shame on Utah leadership.

[@harambetidepod1451]

Utah voters

[@zxqwerxz]

The lake needs water, but nobody wants to take a cut. It's time like these someone needs to make a difficult decision, whether it's scaling back agriculture, or investing in water reclamation. Unilateral action has to be taken soon.

[@kreedence_art266]

Orrr maybe stop watering the capitol and stop allowing bussinesses to waste water by watering thier sidewalks at 1pm for 3hrs everyday. That would be a good start too.

[@tuckerbugeater]

@@kreedence_art266 lol

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

@@kreedence_art266 yes it's crazy to me that people propose scaling back necessary agriculture production before cutting off unnecessary water use for acre and acres of wasteful grass (golf courses, large lawns, public parks with no biodiversity, etc)

[@randyestrada6224]

We say we talk but we never do anything sad world

[@kreedence_art266]

@@randyestrada6224 I think its more like we do talk, and thats all we do. Talk about it before, during and after. Like a train wreck🤷

[@kinai01]

I am sorry to say this and I know there's been generations of farmers in Utah but we have to talk about the fact that over 80% of our water goes towards agricultural needs. We live in a semi desert State there should be some kind of laws to either help them move or the answer here is decreased water to agricultural products let all that water go towards the lake at least for a couple of years so the lake can fill up again

[@Zb_Calisthenic]

But GOD said they NEED the 🌊💦💦💦

[@tmanfury6452]

Farmers own the water they use. It's not government regulated water. It's farmer regulated water.

[@joshuagross3151]

Water rights go by property. The government doesn't own it.

[@DeathByDegrees8]

One of the reasons I moved away from Salt Lake City was because that lake is drying up. It's full of nasty heavy metals that will blow across the valley when the lake bed is exposed.

[@LK-pc4sq]

You are a Climate Migrant. Where did you move to?

[@taylorjackson5960]

I grew up in Salt Lake, barely left 2 years ago and I'm 24 now. Our air quality was always terrible in the winter because of the inversion and this is just going to make it so much worse.

[@lecookie007]

Same where'd you go? I'm thinking inner DC/Virginia or Ohio/Pennsylvania

[@kellharris2491]

I am heading to Northern Illinois. There is a lot of rural area in the Northern part. The climate there is great for farming, hunting. A good place to build your own safe haven. About an hour and a half from Chicago we are away from the crime but close enough to drive if we need to go there.

[@ZachBrimhall]

As a Utah native and Salt Lake County resident, it is devastating to have watched this beautiful place be destroyed. I’m in my 50s and looking to relocate. The population growth and housing has absolutely ruined this place.

[@cinemanuggets24]

It's sad that this was 💯% caused by human activity.

[@MendicantBias1]

69%

[@johnstrawb3521]

No, it was caused 100% by the rich getting richer.

[@stevefink6000]

Wrong. This lake and entire region has been drying up for 15,000 years. look it up.

[@cinemanuggets24]

@@stevefink6000 thanks for the correction

[@cinemanuggets24]

@@MendicantBias1 thanks for the correction

[@lchaney]

The people who care have always cared. The people who don't, never will.

[@AB-fc8io]

people will only care if they experience it and there is no other way to solve it.

[@jeremysmith9694]

No one has any real solutions. Why would I care. Everyone just talks about problems.

[@rarecandy3445]

@@jeremysmith9694 “i dont want to contribute to the solution because nobody else is doing it for me”

[@marktitus8516]

As a ecologist I've reach out to the senators and governor for utah to address these issues. But they have done nothing to establish a simple process of slowly filling the lake bed with water. This would increase our humidity levels and bring in normal monsoon seasons and heavier snow. So it's time for every utah resident to pressure our elected officials to start filling the lake bed or vote them out of office.

[@tmanfury6452]

I agree. They should turn the magic water fountain on and fill it up. What have they been doing this whole time....,.. as a ecologist you should know about the natural life cycles of droughts. The earth will change and so with the weather. So in short the drought might end and our water supplies might be re filled, or the drought might get worse and dry up all together.

[@marktitus8516]

@@tmanfury6452 drought issues can be resolved by man made ecology. They have diverted water from the great salt lake since the 80s in turn our monsoon seasons have decreased and snow levels have decreased also because of lack of humidity in the air. This issue is climate change issue created by man and can be changed by man. Yes, our farms need water also but there was never a reason to divert 90 % of the waters from the great salt lake. So stop living in denial and thinking like so many other Republicans. Mother earth needs our help and a simple change will bring much needed humidity into the air in turn restoring water levels and snow levels to help not only utah but all our surroundings states.

[@tmanfury6452]

@@marktitus8516 the irrigation water has been used since before the 80s, so I don't know why you think that. How much water runs down from the top diversion vs how much goes into the lake? And if humidity from lake size matters. Farmers have increased lakes and reservoirs all over the state so there's more humidity across the state from your logic.

[@marktitus8516]

True, but the decease in rain and snow is being caused by human neglect and simple fixes can bring back our typical rain and snow fall. It's pretty simple just start filling the great salt lake with water. What the atmosphere needs is the salt moisture to seed the clouds.

[@tmanfury6452]

@@marktitus8516 how is the decrease in rain and snow fall controlled by people, the earth has natural patterns that we don't control. Not to mention most of our weather patterns and storms come from storm systems coming from the Pacific ocean. I agree we need to be good Steward's of the land and it's resources. But claiming agriculture is the root of the problem without any real means of proof is a false propaganda that's being pushed by developers and hippies. One who wants the water to build house. The other who just think human life is the root of the problem.

[@patrickmurray3846]

the lakes did not "dry up" they were drained due to overuse/misuse.

[@minhtran1960]

Is Utah doing all that it can? I don't think the leaderships praying alone will help.

[@TStark-vj2wo]

Yeah that killed me when I read that last year. A statewide call to pray for rain. Really Utah (and other religious influenced state's legislatures... and now Supreme court) that's the best you can do now, like this wasn't predicted years, maybe decades, ago by folks of science.

[@TheRm65]

During the course of mankind's existence, people have invented uncountable religions and gods to pray to. If the Utah Prayer Circle thing didn't work out, probably it was because they were praying to the wrong god. Or gods. Or whatever. But disasters are never, ever, our own fault: they are an "act of god" that now requires prayers and sacrifices (and, naturally, some sort of priesthood to act as intermediaries ... for a fee, of course).

[@skaetur1]

If God hates lakes so much, why’d ya’ll stay?!

[@kreedence_art266]

Bruh it murdered me which govenor got in. Nobody I know voted for him. Im pretty sure our local legislation is just a corrupt as the FEDs if not more! We fought for weed laws here 64/36 pretty sweeping win. Took 3yrs and all kinds of "legislative deals" now its only medically leagal and we have to be next to dead to get it. I despise this states government! Doesnt help when 49% of the population will follow them just because they go to the same church. (Im an ex of said church, so I hate it alot more)

[@jeremysmith9694]

That's true. Only everyone praying will actually make a difference.

[@quiet451]

Yet people from other areas keep moving to Salt Lake, just exacerbating the problem. September 7th temperatures were 107° with particulate matter in the unhealthy levels. The future for the area right now is certainly very bleak.

[@stevencooper4422]

People keep moving to Salt Lake thanks to unrestricted immigration into the country. But half the country doesn't want to solve the problem on the border.

[@albinoguidedog]

@@stevencooper4422 actually most the people moving to Utah are legal citizens from California.

[@Alterbridge321]

@@albinoguidedog And most of Utah's growth is due to them having the highest birth rate in the country.

[@albinoguidedog]

@@Alterbridge321 that too. We also have a growing population from out of state. Together we have to many people.

[@Alterbridge321]

@@albinoguidedog For what it's worth, I'm an ex-Utahn that moved to California. Doing my part. ;)

[@AshrakAhmed]

Remember when we use to laugh at USSR for destruction of Aral Sea with bad water management and water intensive irrigation for cotton farm? But I guess when America does it for capitalism it's all cool!

[@b_lee2003]

If people used more water-efficient practices, like swales and berms, permaculture farming, beaver dam analogs, etc., they’d go a long way to resolving their water crisis.

[@SnehPatel96]

We have pipelines for oil and gas, we need to build desalinization plants and build pipelines. Drawing from freshwater sources will only take one areas problems and make them another area’s problem. Don’t drain my Great Lakes for your decision to live in a desert and wonder why you have no water.

[@johnstrawb3521]

Agreed. Desalinization on the order of the Manhattan Project is required, but 'we' refuse to raise taxes on the rich who own our politics to historically normal levels.

[@RangeMcrangeface]

Agreed, water scarcity is not a technological problem, but a political one.

[@Ryan-gx4ce]

Desalination is not a large scale solution. It is extremely energy intensive and creates a lot of brine

[@bradfordjhart]

What if we could just pump salt water from the ocean into the Great salt lake. It would be expensive, but it would replace what's lost and possibly then some.

[@LK-pc4sq]

Or just pipe salt water from the west coast dont desalinate it. Bring shrimp live in salt lake water and feed tens of thousands of migrating birds.

[@pault7177]

I went to Antelope Island just yesterday. Haven't been out there for probably 30+ years. You could see where the water used to be and it's quite alarming. Small marina as you get to the island completely dry. Oh yeah, it's not an island anymore with that stretch of road being dry for several hundred yards out on the north side

[@jeremysmith9694]

Thanks for sounding the alarm

[@JamiesCryin1]

@@jeremysmith9694 Oh my heck, you betcha. No problem at all. I mean, really

[@justoncheney7172]

Aside from being expensive, is it a stupid idea to pump salty water from the ocean to the salty lake? I mean, they pump oil all over the place. I mean, if we're going to run out of water by 2040, we should probably get water from somewhere if we want to keep growing.....and don't want the lake to dry up and kill everyone with the toxic stuff that is under it.

[@mrlurp]

When I was a kid in the 70’s, my parents would take the whole family there for family fun. It was always fun to float around the shores, and it was only knee deep. Now it stinks there, and the brine flies are everywhere. How times change.

[@YallaMiami]

Can we stop thinking about all these silly issues and fight over voting for Trump or Biden to go to the white house and do absolutely nothing about these issues?

[@sharrpshooter1]

@@YallaMiami This is some weird reverse reverse psychology with a dash of projection, like fr what is the point of your comment responding to this person? Wouldnt it have made more sense as a general comment?

[@YallaMiami]

@@sharrpshooter1 ok 👍🏻

[@tmmsplace]

It was getting stinky in the 90s, but not as bad as now

[@SaturmornCarvilli]

I remember in the early 80s the GSL was so full that the Antelope Island causeway was covered over with water. I also think that Saltair was flooded (or close to being flooded) then, too.

[@Hurricane0721]

It’s not “climate change” that’s changing the Great Salt Lake. It’s agriculture that’s the problem here!

[@itisjong]

On average, the NSA's Utah Data Center uses between two and four million gallons of water each month. Facebook consumed 13.5 million gallons in the year between June and May. All of this is used to take and store data on the US citizens. I'd rather use this water for food and drinking.

[@UnclePlaysBadly]

I'd rather Facebook went down the toilet. Water savings would just be a bonus.

[@mikenikefrombrazil3348]

Me: "hmmm this sounds like bad news" *looks out window and sees dry lakebed*

[@mikejones8866]

Such an oxymoron - "the lake's dehydration is reducing the amount of water we NEED for our *EVAPORATION PONDS."*

[@kreedence_art266]

Yeah not even bIG bRAINs can explain that to me. Me: Minerals in the water? bb: No Me: Minerals in the dirt? bb: Yes deep water draws it out Me: So you could just process the dirt? bb: No too much work Me: ..... bb: Dust storms, will blow all the minerals out Me: TF! How? Thought we needed water for that?

[@AdamBechtol]

Lol

[@ryanlocher4177]

Shows a water diversion chart but doesn't talk about agriculture?

[@privatemale27]

Seems unfortunate that the brine ponds don't have greenhouse style roofs that could collect the condensation and run it back out the lake or for urban use. I guess the roofs would be expensive to build, but, but they would increase the evaporation rate and recover much of the water.

[@beestoe993]

A creative solution. I like it.

[@protonjinx]

They would also keep out dust and other pollutants.

[@privatemale27]

@@protonjinx Probably more important that they trap the dust and pollutants. Everything in that water ends up more concentrated as it evaporates.

[@pnwmax]

Mississippi River at record lows… the west in a drought draining the Colorado… the Salt Lake shrinking… something universal is happening.

[@nataliekhanyola5669]

Climate change.

[@XXPLUTONIXX]

Drove through Salt Lake City last year on a road trip. I couldn't believe the traffic through that corridor. It rivals LA traffic. Couldn't get through there fast enough.

[@samwalters1]

Definitely depends on the time of day or if there was an accident / ever since they expanded it last year it’s really not that bad except for the occasional wreck or issue

[@kristinab1078]

I lived there 30+ years ago when there were orchards and fields in-between towns when driving from the Orem-Provo area to Salt Lake. I went back 12 years ago and was shocked by the amount of development. Every town was almost connected without the green patches between. I can't imagine how it is now. Similar to the other booming and arid towns in Arizona, Utah just can't handle the sheer number of people moving there.

[@tmmsplace]

@@kristinab1078 Ditto. I can't believe it when I go there now, too. I enjoyed sitting out in the backyard under a tree with a distant view of the lake over 1 or 2 miles of brush. Breezes would whistle past without dust or heavy metals. Just the gentle smell of salted air, like at the ocean front.

[@SaturmornCarvilli]

@@kristinab1078 I haven't been back to Utah in a good while, but I was definitely surprised how much sprawl had crept out toward the Great Salt Lake. Growing up in Utah, I didn't like going further west than Hooper. Which as fine since there was pretty much nothing out there but farms.

[@shadfletcher6815]

you obviously haven't sat on the 405 freeway anywhere from 3 to 6pm...the traffic in utah is child's play compared to California

[@kristinadutton3259]

I’m disappointed that overpopulation isn’t a part of these discussions.

[@weirdshibainu]

Owens Lake didn't "dry up" it was drained by Los Angeles for the water.

[@musicmadness1214]

The entire American southwest region is in a very vulnerable position yet more people keep moving there.

[@phdtobe]

I’ve picked up loads of salt from that Morton plant. Very eerie place.

[@off_mah_lawn2074]

As many people have said, how could you not talk about Agriculture? Great documentary otherwise though. Loved the mineral extraction piece.

[@AdamBechtol]

Yeah, huge chunk of that pie chart they just ignore.

[@stevencooper4422]

Because they want social control over the masses, not the minority of farmers

[@pyronac1]

I love how Utah plans on burdening the people by raising the cost of water to human consumers. As if that will do anything at all considering the biggest consumer is agriculture growing feed crops. Failed to mention that wsj?

[@martinjaso2553]

It’s crazy that all these water reservoirs in the desert are drying up…

[@josephjones4293]

Hmmmm corporations draining resources at the cost of the neighboring community… sounds like they should be tapped to help fix it.

[@XYZ-bi9eb]

dream on. that will never happen because corporations are special kind of people.

[@jollyjokress3852]

I care zero about the economy but 100% abiut the ecosystems there.

[@franksullivan1873]

To many people living in a Desert.

[@stevencooper4422]

Too many farmers in the desert. The people take up a fraction of the water. See the pie chart in the video?

[@franksullivan1873]

@Steven Cooper We are also bringing in too many people.Well we need to buy out those farmers and stop the farming.

[@Sk8StGeorge]

Not saying that water is plentiful, but this photo contrasting 1987 and now is MISLEADING. 1987 was plagued by EXTREME RECORD FLOODING in Utah.

[@ReynaSingh]

Yikes. That’s concerning

[@tunlandfarm9444]

What better evidence is there against a constant focus on growing consumerism?

[@SMHman666]

We are terrible, as a species. We take, take and take but rarely put anything back in to balance out our rabid consumption. Becoming such a "throw away" society has compounded the problem.

[@BasicUniversalEconomics]

They need to limit the agriculture water intake from feeding rivers. why was this not emphasized more? it is the largest water use and the one that needs to be limited most. but farmers have big pockets, so they will be last to be regulated. but when the water runs out of the lake, and their crops are covered in dust and they ruined others and themselves by their greed it will be too late for correction, of course once they stop taking water from the rivers the lake will fill back up, but so much damage will be done. The US has millions of good acres of some of the best farmland in the world, we don't need to turn the desert into farms.

[@music4thedeaf]

Look up tulare lake. It was destroyed by one cotton farmer. The lake is no dry . The rivers that feed it have been damned and canals irrigate the entire valley. Ensuring that the lake will never regenerate. Thus leading to draining the water resviour under us.

[@patricknaughton9322]

It's still a pretty good lake..

[@daviddunn3894]

Would have been nice if the WSJ and Fox News had been thinking about the economic impact before pushing the idea that climate change wasn't real

[@majorchungus]

Man made climate change isn't real. Climate change is.

[@DougVandegrift]

I live in Salt Lake City and I can tell you we can do a LOT more to be more water efficient. But this needs to come from city counsels and the governor's office. Home developers install huge fields with Kentucky bluegrass that is very thirsty for water to keep green. Farmers' alfalfa fields use up huge amounts of water. LDS churches and city buildings all have huge grassy fields which are watered almost always during the hot noon day hours while hypocritically ordering residents that they cannot water during such times (yes the LDS church is a huge part of the political leadership in utah). We need to emulate Las Vegas Nevada and recycle the water as much as possible and allow to be drained into the lake.

[@debbiew.7716]

The churches have reduced water consumption just like everyone else as we all have been asked to. My own local buildings lawn is a nice shade of yellow. Stop the hate.

[@jaypal7725]

a church up in sandy always watering at 5pm. just doesnt make sense.

[@acerimmer8338]

@@debbiew.7716 It's not hate. He's just pointing out facts.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

They should just bring in restrictions until the lake can recover to sustainable level. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

[@skaetur1]

OK. The restriction means you personally cannot shower five days a week, but your neighbor who is an elephant with elephant parents gets to shower eight times a day. That is how it will be.

[@aegaeon117]

No, my sprinklers need to water my sidewalk for some reason.

[@albinoguidedog]

It would take 40+ years to fill the lake back up.

[@dr.OgataSerizawa]

@@albinoguidedog …..and that’s being generous! That lake will NEVER refill.

[@albinoguidedog]

@@dr.OgataSerizawa I know. 40 years would be nice but we all know it won't. It's too late.

[@Xavier-se9mc]

I live on the lake and I still don't see how the benefits of saving the lake outweigh the cost. Air quality has always been a problem here as it is a dusty desert. The question becomes, who gets to pick what industries live and what industries die? This vid fails to take into account the cost of saving the lake

[@amypola5903]

Utah resident here This is actually informative journalism. Wow, it's like a refreshing glass of water. Though I'll still take main stream media, any media for that matter with a grain of salt. I used to joke that the South Valley drought was brought to you by the NSA, since they have a massive server farm closer to Utah lake about 45 min to an hour South of The Great Salt Lake. Now Facebook is out there I think, and tons of others, they call it Silicon Slopes. So not issuing more permits is too little too late, the big players are out there already. And bottled water, and the various flavored beverages of your choice is decimating water supplies the world over. So we have a huge lifestyle and industry change there. I'm aiming vegan so the alfalfa isn't feeding my meat. Im fine if job losses start in the meat industry. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, my church, has a word of wisdom that says to eat meat sparingly, but nobody seems to be listening to it. I see so many places with broken sprinklers watering the streets, public schools that likely don't have staff to manage it properly. Canal water rolling down the gutters, filthy. I wouldn't use that to water my veg garden. Motor oil, etc. No. Return it to actual canals. I've toured a few of our waste water treatment facilities, very impressive. Tight ship. Potable water is returned to the Jordan River that should flow to the lake.... that's returned residential water, where's it going? Residents are encouraged to let lawns die while industry apparently was getting a free pass for years. The coveted exponential growth is coming at a heavy price. While residents do need to learn conservation practices, and I'd love it if the US adopted trash sorting like Japan, but industry needs big changes. Dear Engineers, Challenge: Server farms need entirely different solutions. Sorry but this is only going to be solved with a top down approach, that does include residents, but government corporate gaslighting of residents continued will only turn this place into a dust bowl.

[@magmasunburst9331]

I think they're down playing the impact that the industrial use of the lake is having on the water level of the lake. They mention it but it doesn't seem like it's a factor they want to control.

[@auro1986]

yes drying lakes for wsj it is always economical not ecological

[@davidgrover5996]

The record high for the GSL was in 1986 just 36 years ago. We know for a fact the GSL has completely dried out at least once before modern records.

[@trevorn9381]

The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of a vast inland sea that has mostly dried up.

[@jsmu1234]

In one documentary, it insightfully analyse the depletion of water from aquifer (below ground level) which serves as irrigation (free resource) for industrial scale farming (grain or cows in US Oregon). What you see in the video is visible level........but those invisible level (aquifer) is more significant.

[@olegkosygin2993]

you know, I have just been back from a pond that used to be a largish lake. I found that its water level seems to be the same as the level of water in my well. Aquifer is drying out, descending... and so does the visible water as well.

[@MrKansaitim]

Utah has fresh water bottling plants? And how many golf courses?

[@franciscovarela7127]

Will anything truly effective be done to save the lake? Probably not.

[@sentinel151]

Ahh yes, maybe we can come up with some quick solution for now that’ll push the lake from completely drying up into the future. So we can continue or probably increase our consumption. Yeah that’ll work.

[@kgal1298]

It's almost like we were warned about this for decades, but people were like "eh this is natural it'll be fine" honestly if humans die off because we didn't want to take precautions we deserve it.

[@jeremysmith9694]

And why does it really matter if humans die off? If we didn't choose to come into existence why should it matter when we go?

[@artistjim114]

Your money ain’t gonna save you.

[@DannerBanks]

There are two inaccuracies in this video (I recommend you watch Mic the Vegan's KZbin video that addresses this same topic): 1. The lower water levels have not been influenced by climate change. They have occurred purely from water diversion. 2. There is an easy solve - stop alfalfa and hay farmers from using the water. 80% of the diverted water is used by the agriculture industry and that industry is a fraction of Utah's economy. Not worth it

[@A_J502]

Precipitation levels are dropping, which is part of the problem, which is related to climate change.

[@sentientflower7891]

Your video is low grade anti science propaganda.

[@DannerBanks]

@@A_J502 Look up "Water Development, Consumptive Water Uses, and Great Salt Lake" by Sarah E Null and Wayne A Wurtsbaugh from the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University. You're wrong

[@A_J502]

@@DannerBanks Do you realize nothing you said is relevant to my comment?

[@DannerBanks]

@@A_J502 Since you can't or won't read what I cited, let me make it really simple for you: "Climate change, to date, has not noticeably influenced lake level." If you disagree, perhaps you can take that up with Null and Wurtsbaugh from the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University

[@OGREChad]

I was in Utah summer of 2019. The lawns there in the summer are greener than they are in Seattle.

[@matt45540]

Increasing the water bill should only be done after a certain amount of usage. Don't punish everyone, tax the heavy users

[@TheRm65]

If I chose to live on the bank of a river, I'd have no standing to complain of flooding. If I built my house on a mountainside, I couldn't complain about landslides. You made the choice to live in a desert, so now you have to pay the water bill. Not complicated. But swimming pools, lawns, irrigated farming . . . all that has to go. The time is coming when there won't be enough habitable land for all of us in this country, maybe even anywhere in the world.

[@privacylock855]

Corporations always do the right thing.

[@Ryan-gx4ce]

@@SusanKay- I think that op was being sarcastic

[@strongblackcoffee9573]

I'm sure if we keep focusing on earning profits all these environmental problems will resolve themselves 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@privacylock855]

I agree. Corporations always do the right thing.

[@XYZ-bi9eb]

only when enough republicons living there suffer badly from the poisonous dust, filth, and stench in SLC will anything be done to solve the problem. first they will try worthless thoughts and prayers......

[@diamonddetails9445]

As always, The Rich get RICHER, The Poor get *UCKED.

[@XXPLUTONIXX]

Maybe focus more on other forms of energy than playing class warfare.

[@strongblackcoffee9573]

@@XXPLUTONIXX class warfare? The war is over. The rich won. And they will continue to do what earns them the most money.

[@solk.posner7201]

Another Aral Sea disaster. USA footsteps to that of the USSR are eerily similar.

[@smallhelmonabigship3524]

There are a lot of misconceptions in this video. There has always been a fifty to one hundred year cycle where the lake either gets very low, or it gets very high. Either extreme always gets us a sky is falling mentality from the establishment. When I was a kid in the 1970s, there was a drought and the thought was the lake would dry up and Antelope Island we become a permanent peninsula. Then in the 1980s the lake became so high there was flooding everywhere. The state spent many millions of dollars building massive pumps and canals to pump the water into the west desert. By the time they finished the pumps, the lake was receding so fast that they weren't even needed. Now the pumps are so corroded, they are useless. The entire region is called the great basin because it is a giant basin and the great Salt Lake is the bottom of the basin. Unlike most places in the world, there are are no rivers that flow out of this region and into the ocean. Everything that flows into the Great Salt Lake, leaves only by evaporation. Even if you divert water for other use The water isn't leaving the great basin, it is still there. It is not going anywhere. When you divert water to residential households, a large portion of the water is flushed back into the sewers and treatment plants discharge that water into the lake. As for water that is diverted for agriculture and yards, It either soaks into the ground and feeds underground aquifers, or it evaporates. Sooner or later, many of those aquifers will find themselves flowing back into the lake. I am not saying that having lots of people around doesn't affect lake levels, but even if you removed all the people, the lake would still be low, because of the drought. The real reason is the one that is practically forbidden from even being mentioned. This is a godless, wicked people that bans even the very thought of God. Yet God truly is in control of everything.

[@P2Feener305]

You can fool some but you can’t fool us all.

[@cbee5568]

It's all agriculture.

[@CamAlert2]

reminds me of the shrinking of the aral sea. that was a massive failure

[@pxw3]

2.5 billion dollars for the Owens lake dust mitigation was paid by LADWP which is a City of Los Angeles department. Los Angeles county didn't pay for the dust mitigation costs.

[@niio111]

Unmentioned is that the 80's baseline for this segment was a period of intense flooding for the lake. The only time it was higher was 1873, so really this was a hundred year flood. I80 across the salt flats was nearly inundated and huge pumps to get water out to the western desert were installed. There was so much water in 1983 that Main Street through downtown Salt Late City was sandbagged on both sides and turned into a river for about a week. Many of the diversion projects vilified in this segment were undertaken to prevent reoccurrence. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5XJe6p8driEn7s Also unmentioned is that at the current level the lake is still 25% larger than it was in 1963, lowest recorded. It is popular to take cheap shots at mismanagement but nature has been doing as it pleases since the beginning of time.

[@debbiew.7716]

Thank you for the perspective. People want to be alarmists. Stay calm and carry on.

[@calebmarek]

But all that information doesn't push The Climate Change Agenda and doesn't enrich politicians via kickbacks from climate policy..

[@JonathanLouispolansky]

And I don’t think the fact that lakes at 167 year record low is a good thing but what do I know!

[@stephenrodgers9698]

Your second point is false. The lowest the level the lake reached in 1963 was 4191ft, its currently at 4188ft.

[@jaco7675]

No, it’s due to “Climate Change”. Joe Biden will spend enough to stop the desert from being … a desert.

[@tjcummings5249]

Here's an idea stop wasting tens of trillions of gallons of water on watering your grass we live in a desert you done need a green yeard

[@atenas80525]

As a kid in the 80's, I remember so much hubbub about air pollution, car exhaust, etc. If we had undertaken a serious tree-planting effort then, look at all the residual impacts those trees would have on the world, today - 40 years later

[@sharrpshooter1]

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now

[@starcrib]

I grew uo in the 70s- Exactly the same- nothing will change untill some doom day situation unfolds.

[@Mdebacle]

As Matthias said to Neville in 'Omega Man', "We waited for you, Neville, so you could see this: The end. The end of all you done. You see, none of it was real. It was illusion. Your art, your science, it was all a nightmare. And now it's done. Finished. My brethren, our task is nearly complete. He was the last of those who brought the punishment to us. We have cleansed and purged his world. Now we must build."

[@johnnicpon5783]

Duh, quit allowing additional water diversions. And look to revoke previously approved water diversions. If this means buying out farmers, that would be a good use of funds. Never understood why it is thought by some that farming in a desert, with limited water, was a good idea. As the old saying goes, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

Why is there almost a defined line in a lake in the intro footage? Half is darker green the other half is not.

[@bobthemagicmoose]

A causeway was built for trains across it. The two sections are separated and have developed different salinity levels and other ecological differences.

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

@@bobthemagicmoose Dang how do you know this from the region or a lot better than me at google

[@bobthemagicmoose]

@@Thebreakdownshow1 I remember seeing it on Google earth a few years ago and was really curious so I spent a lot of time looking it up. I think there has been some effort to reunite the two sections but nothing dramatic. I don't think the causeway is used anymore but it originally carried trans continental traffic in the beginning of the 20th century

[@bobthemagicmoose]

Just did some research to verify... it's still active and called the Lucin Cutoff. It even has a wiki

[@28Jochoa]

We got oil pipelines from the artic to texas. But we cant build pipelines from heavy water areas to dry areas? So stupid

[@zachfox7771]

A fertilizer "used" not required!!! by building soil we do not need synthetic fertilizers

[@tmanfury6452]

But I thought we wanted our farmers to be efficient with their water use. Grow the most amount of crop in with least amount of water. You can't do that without fertilizer.

[@zachfox7771]

@@tmanfury6452 You can! soil that requires fertilizer to grow healthy crops does not absorb and hold water well. Mulched deep humus mycelium rich soil holds onto water and protects it from evaporation. it also allows the plants to access the water better. The vast majority of farms that grow with fertilizers are growing what is essentially sand, sand does not hold moisture very well at all

[@devilpupbear09]

Well there's nothing left to do but drink whiskey and let the vortex suck it all down 🍷

[@lebronsinclair8012]

People need to get over it and understand we need to change our way of life. It's not and never was sustainable. Density with more planned cities to mitigate waster from people and conservation will be key. I honestly don't see this in a city that exist today. Too many corporate landlords and slow local government to make it happen in major cities today. Definitely see a lot of climate migration coming to east. They definitely aren't ready for it. Le sigh...

[@jctai100]

This, we need a culture shift but likely won't happen. We put too much hope on tech.

[@lebronsinclair8012]

@@jctai100 Definitely put way too much stock in tech. To mitigate this will need to build denser and mitigate waster. For example I don't know why houses in the west coast have traditional lawns at all.

[@sharrpshooter1]

Have you looked at any European cities? They are decades ahead of any US cities in those terms for sustainability

[@MrCacaindahouse]

@@sharrpshooter1 Not really, i am from germany, it goes only longer by us 😅 this year our politics got a small taste for drought.

[@kristinab1078]

I relate with what you wrote. I've been dismayed by the population growth in Utah and lack of political will. I seriously looked at purchasing a duplex in St. George over 12 years ago b/c I always loved the area. However, I was concerned about the water situation and did a lot of research on the subject. Ultimately, I decided not to as I didn't see a long-term future in it. I lost out on a very good investment, but I also didn't become a part of the problem. People need to internalize these issue and think long-term about sustainability rather than making decisions based on immediate profit.

[@jestertryna8956]

Tell us what the “projects” are

[@fallout560]

Nah just put more water in golf courses

[@dakotajensen7213]

I've lived next to the salt lake for my whole life in Layton and northern Utah. There's a very simple solution to this problem we must continue to build suburbs with LUSH green grass over the lake draining it. That way no dust will get into the skies and we can continue our middle class way of life. In effect the great salt lake will become the GREAT SALT SUBDIVISION. The way our ancestors had planned when they said this is the place.

[@pauls4235]

I think you solved it. Utah is saved

[@ethanYT_1219]

Imagine spending millions on a lakeside mansion only to have it dry up 💀💀

[@saahiliyer11]

And then get cancer from the poison dust that blows in.

[@aramondehasashi3324]

Trust me you wouldn't want a lakeside mansion there even if the lakeside was full.

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

You have companies bottling water in Utah? And you think this isn't a problem? Don't tell me you have golf courses there too, because geez!

[@TwoStageTrigger]

Overpopulation. Too many people moving into Utah, and we send too much water over to California as well. The only reason it ever got so full was because of record flooding in 1983. There's an expensive solution. Utah gets its rainfall and snowpack from lake effect, (air picks up water moving across the lake and dumps it on the mountains). There's not enough water for good lake effect. If we pumped water from the ocean in California, into the Great Salt Lake, we would get back our lake effect, end the drought, and have plenty of water to send to California for them to dump in the ocean for an endangered minnow.

[@stevencooper4422]

Too many farmers, not too many people.

[@ewallt]

This has nothing to do with climate change.

[@thesilentone4024]

85% of the water goes to animal feed and the cows that eat it thank you farms. Oh 90% of your water goes to farms but 3% is food you can eat 2% will be turned into ethanol. So homes 4% inside 6% outside so 10% for the people.

[@sentientflower7891]

Food prices will skyrocket and your civilization will still die.

[@tmanfury6452]

Your right. I think we should bankrupt the farmers. How dare they grow food. We should all protest and not eat anymore food. Then they can't sell it and will go bankrupt if no one is buying Their food.

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

I'm wondering, with such a water shortage, how do you even think of widespread fracking?

[@spencerthomason6558]

Interestingly, 60 years ago the lake was at nearly the same level it is today. 20 years later- where this video begins- it was at the all-time high. A much more accurate animation (link below) shows the cycles of drought that this region experiences, and the corresponding impact on the lake.

[@Paiadakine]

What a difference a year makes.

[@MictheVegan]

Let's get the numbers right, expanding population is dwarfed by agriculture water use at 82% (2019 Utah Foundation Repot) and 85-90% of that is for animal agriculture (USDA). I have a recent video on this if anyone doubts the numbers or sources. Farming animals and growing their feed in the Utah desert is the primary driver for carcinogenic dust storms (trapped by the inversion) over 1.7 million people's homes in the coming years...current legislation is not enough.

[@Deetroiter]

A drought in the desert? No way!

[@steeltalon2317]

I hike on the dry portion of the lake almost weekly. I'm always amazed at the number of variety of wildlife around me, even on the lake itself. The amount of alfalfa farmers and their crops didn't increase, the local population did increase.

[@trevorn9381]

The farms have been there for more than a century. If they want to fix the problem they need to stop issuing building permits for new devlopment in the watershed. It is the same deal here on the Chesapeake Bay. They constantly blame the farmers for the pollution in the bay. The thing is the farms in the bay watershed have been there for 200+ years, what hasn't been there are sprawling suburban housing developments, office parks, golf courses, and strip malls that have largely sprung up since 1950.

[@keepleft]

As long as the people in power are making money, who cares. #PeopleInPowerAreNumber1

[@doomtomb3]

overpopulation

[@sionbarzad5371]

When that year long green lawn in a desert karma comes a-knocking

[@Earthisdivine]

We all have to brace ourselves. There are so many interconnections globally that will not only cost economic losses but human and animal losses. I personally have no idea how we can turn this around quickly. But I think we all need to take action via responsibility through what and how we consume. Every thing we buy, every bite we take has an impact. There are many answers, but each of us can start with thinking about our personal consumption and boycotting en masse the luxuries. That does mean sacrifice. I am willing and trying every day but I am just one. And hey, look, we all got used to convenience. We grew up like this. What will we teach our children?

[@sharrpshooter1]

At the end of the day, the small things we do are insignificant to the rich elite and businesses who caused this problem. Global warming wasn't caused by the average person, and it wont be fixed by them either sadly. Its not a bad sentiment, but why should we have to sacrifice for issue we did not cause, while the people who caused them will have to sacrifice nothing?

[@jonnyfendi2003]

I aint sacrificing anything. Period!! Tell your hypocritical politicians like John Kerry the climate czar to sacrifice first!!

[@kristinab1078]

@@sharrpshooter1 According to the US Geological Survey, Utah uses the most domestic water per capita in the southwest and pays the least for it. This is something to consider and certainly indicates that personal change could make some difference even if it's not a huge change. I always loved those soft, large Utah lawns, but perhaps some may need to be reconsidered.

[@lucysnorebush964]

Silence, demon

[@privacylock855]

Why don't the mineral extraction folks scoop up the dry lake bottom and process it. ?

[@sentientflower7891]

Because it takes water and you are looking at thousands of square miles.

[@privacylock855]

@@sentientflower7891 i am thinking they use a whole different process.