Utah's Great Salt Lake Reaches at Historic Low Level Due to Megadrought; Agricultural Water Supply in Surrounding Communities Could Suffer

(Photo : by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Great Salt Lake on August 02, 2021 near Magna, Utah

A recent news report showed the megadrought in Utah's Great Salt Lake reached historic lows.

The low-level water raised concerns among communities and environmentalists, especially about the agricultural water supply and biodiversity.

The megadrought has been concerning and serious, the same as situation in the Mississippi River reaching historic lows.

The place was beautiful for many tourists visiting Utah. It is one of the best spots because of its biodiversity and cultural background.

According to Utah.com, the Great Salt Lake is considered the largest between the Pacific Ocean and Great Lakes.

The article also added that the lake is said to be the most-asked place in Utah, knowing that bird watching is a good activity in the area.

Being abundant in biodiversity and surface area, the Great Salt Lake is considered a home for a vibrant ecosystem and migrating birds.

In the Live Science previous report, the Great Salt Lake provided a place for about 7.5 million bird visitors in the lake.

The rich habitat and wetlands make it more attractive to various birds.

Megadrought

However, the Great Salt Lake has suffered from a pressing concern of water loss. Live Science reported that the lake lost about 40% of water in 2011 due to drought and human-caused pollution.

The water decline to extreme drought showed in NASA satellites how the Great Salt Lake reached a saddening historical low.

The report also explained that the exceptional drought cycle contributed to the decline. Snowpack and rain could be helpful to recover the water loss, but it has become less in the area.

On the other hand, a recent report in Newsweek showed that the megadrought and warming of temperatures in the southwestern portions added to the problem.

Newsweek said that the satellite records from NASA Earth Observatory in 1985 and 2022 revealed that the lake's declining water is noticeably smaller than before.

Also Read: Heavy Rain and Strong Winds to Unload in Western U.S.; Major Travel Disruptions Expected from Washington to California 

The megadrought and water loss could impact migrating birds and biodiversity. According to the report, Professor Wayne Wurtsbaugh explained that historically low water revealed the lake bed.

Toxic dust storms could emerge-noting that the lake lost about 9.2 feet in the last ten years.

Wurtsbaugh is also an emeritus professor at Utah State University.

Agricultural water and migratory birds

In addition, the Great Salt Lake is an important place for agricultural water and other uses.

The increasing water demand could be associated with the growing population.

Animals and humans are heavily affected by the water loss in the Great Salt Lake, which would be costly to the economy and animal biodiversity.

The ecosystem in the lake would be impacted, including the millions of migratory birds visiting the lake.

On the other hand, last year's weather conditions would be helpful for the lake. The snowpack and rainfall would provide a short-term to the drought in the lake.

Related Article: U.S Midwest Farmers Worry About Drought that Could Threaten Major Crops' Harvest

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