Purpose of the council
“Advise on the sustainable use, protection, and development of the Great Salt Lake.”
Responsible for balancing the sustainable use, environmental health, and reasonable access for existing and future development of the Great Salt Lake.
Agenda for January meeting
Members of the council: Who they represent (All appointed by Utah governor.)
Don Leonard: Chair & Aquaculture (Present)
Joe Havasi: Extractive Industry (Present)
Dina Blaes: Salt Lake County (Not present)
Randy Elliott: Davis County (Present)
Gage Froerer: Weber County (Not present)
David Livermore: Conservation (Present)
Leland Myers: Publicly Owned Treatment Works (Present)
Jeff Richards: Migratory Bird Protection Areas (Present)
Lee Perry: Box Elder County (Not present)
Ryan Doherty: Tooele County (Present)
Thomas Ward: Municipal Government (Sandy City) (Present, Online)
Persons scheduled to speak
Lily Wetterlin, Stephanie Graham, & Jaimi Butler: Steven W. Carothers & Associates (SWCA) (All present)
Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake Commissioner (Present)
Tim Hawkes, Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative (Present)
The scene
A large meeting room with large windows. There are two 360 degree cameras on a plastic table in the middle that are recording the entire meeting, while also streaming the meeting to persons attending virtually.
Timeline
10:09: Meeting started with Don Leonard calling the meeting to order and stated that the meeting has a quorum present.
10:10: All persons present in the room stated their name and organization.
10:12: Leonard thanked everyone present and online, and entertained a motion to approve the agenda. Members unanimously voted to approve the agenda and the meeting notes of the November meeting. Leonard gave an introduction to Lily Wetterlin to present on the Great Salt Lake Enhancement Projects led by SWCA.
10:15: Lily Wetterlin gave the opening presentation for SWCA. Wetterlin stated that “The Great Salt Lake Enhancement Projects aim to gather information from a diverse range of stakeholders on proposed projects that could increase water delivery, improve or conserve habitat, or provide other tangible benefits to the lake”. Wetterlin also said that “the overall goal” was to compose a master list of these proposed projects in order to encourage stakeholder collaboration and to “identify eligible projects when funding becomes available”. Wetterlin then talked about what kind of stakeholders are part of the project including, but not limited to, local/state governments, tribes, duck clubs, academics, and industries. There are currently 161 projects in the database. These projects can all be categorized under the labels of water delivery, water conservation, infrastructure, habitat conservation, research and monitoring, in-lake engineered solutions, and policy/community engagement. Most of the projects fall under the purpose of gathering data/information about the lake. The total cost of all of the projects is estimated to be about $640,000,000, with only $130,000,000 of funding currently being secured. Most of the projects are in the conceptual/planning phase, many do not have any cost estimates, and 54% of the projects do not fall within the geographical area of the Great Salt Lake adjacent.
10:28: Wetterlin opened the floor for questions. Leland Myers asked if any of the projects are prioritized over another. Wetterlin answered that there is currently no prioritization, but it may be considered moving forward. Jeff Richards asked about how the effectiveness of these projects would be measured, Wetterlin stated that it was not within their scope. Tim Davis, Deputy Great Salt Lake Commissioner, also gave input on the quantification of benefits of the projects, saying that it is important to work with the agencies and figure out what benefit each project has for the lake.
10:34: Leonard handed the floor to Tim Hawkes, as Brian Steed seemed to be running late. Hawkes, Chairman of the Board of the Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative and former representative of House District 18 in the Utah Legislature, talks about his past experiences working in the Legislature. Hawkes talked about SB 18, a new senate bill from the 2024 legislative session, which quantifies the amount of water that is saved through agriculture optimization/conservation and how water can be shepherded from the top of the watershed to the Great Salt Lake. Hawkes talked about a new bill that was introduced which mandates the GSL Commissioner to report on the effectiveness of several GSL programs. Hawkes touched on a few other new water bills that are being introduced, but don’t currently have much content.
10:47: Hawkes ended his presentation, Leonard opened the floor to questions. Myers asked about shepherding water from other areas besides the agriculture industry, such as the municipal and industrial sectors. Hawkes responded by saying that “it is also a problem and a challenge that we haven’t figured out a way how to do” and that agriculture was focused as it seemed easier to handle as it is tied to specific water rights.
(Marco Lozzi | University of Utah) Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake Commissioner, speaks to council members while presenting during the GSL Advisory Council meeting in the Eccles Wildlife Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
10:51: Leonard handed the floor to Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake Commissioner for the State of Utah. Steed stated that the purpose of the Commissioner is to provide a strategy for the state’s actions regarding the Great Salt Lake. Steed was appointed as the first Commissioner ever in May and confirmed in June. (Steed cracked a light joke about the position of Commissioner being intended for Hawkes, who said no to the position) Steed stated that they are the only two people working in the commissioners office, and that they worked during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year weekend. Steed talked about short term goals for the Great Salt Lake including improving coordination between agencies, the need for more scientific research on the lake, more water being pushed to the lake, and protecting the water/air quality. Steed stated that they plan to keep the GSL elevation above 4,190 feet. Steed then talked about the medium term, in the next one to five years. He wants to continue all effective short-term actions, integrating the GSL integrated management plan, land use planning, funding efforts and dust remediation projects. Steed stated that this was an adaptive plan and that he doesn’t “know that everything we are proposing to do is going to be what we need it to be”. Steed then talked about the long term, six to 30 years, which includes short/medium term plans, as well as water supply augmentation and water banking.
11:09: Steed opened the floor to questions. Myers asked how the commissioner office is going to encourage various water agencies to be proactive in making these plans come to fruition. Steed stated that they have set up weekly briefings with various agencies and that it will be a work in progress for some time, but also that “the statute does have some teeth for the commissioner’s office”. Jeff Richards asked for support in monitoring water quality in the wetlands/south shore region. Steed stated that the wetlands are “critically important” and understands their position. An audience member asked if any of the commissioner’s plans included the removal of phragmites, an invasive and aggressive species of wetland grass that is tall, dense, and disturbs native vegetation. Steed and Davis talk about the importance of eliminating phragmites in the GSL in order to improve habitats. Steed also talked about subsidizing agriculture in order to save more water without hurting agricultural interests, using alfalfa as an example. Steed stated that all of the states in the west are looking for additional sources of water.
11:24: Leonard opened the floor to any other public comments, none were given. Leonard talked about his history in protecting the GSL. Leonard stated that he stepped down as the chair of the Brine Shrimp cooperative on January 1st, 2024, and intends to resign from the GSLAC and give his position to Tim Hawkes the day he is confirmed by the senate. (Everyone in the room applauds) The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 from 10:00am to 11:30 a.m. at the Eccles Wildlife Center.
11:28: The meeting is adjourned.
Summary
There is currently a severe lack of funding for the projects that are outlined by SWCA for the Great Salt Lake Enhancement Projects.
The office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner is a relatively new power that is tasked with creating a strategy to save the Great Salt Lake.
Don Leonard will be resigning from the GSLAC once Tim Hawkes is approved by the senate to join the council.
Follow-Up Questions
Were any plans made regarding Tom Tripp’s proposal from the last meeting for an independent, third party study on the effects of mineral extraction in the Great Salt Lake?
Water Documenters is a collaboration between The Salt Lake Tribune and City Bureau and funded through grants from the Great Salt Lake Collaborative and the Rita Allen Foundation. College student journalists from all over Utah are hired to attend and take notes at public water meetings in Utah. These notes are then published for anyone to read or use. The project is aimed at providing better public access to meetings where major decisions are made about a limited Utah resource. For more meeting notes, click here. For more information, click here.
