The Great Salt Lake is a jewel of Utah’s natural landscape. But, like so many Utahns know, its declining water levels in recent years threaten not only the lake’s unique ecosystem but also the economic and recreational activities that depend on it.
As the first Great Salt Lake Commissioner, it’s my job to develop and maintain a strategic plan and coordinate work amongst all agencies and interests to preserve and improve the health of the lake.
That’s why these recent events have been so impactful for me — and for our state.
What happened? A major operator on the Great Salt Lake — Compass Minerals, an essential minerals company that has operated on the lake for more than half a century — entered into the first Voluntary Agreement for Great Salt Lake water conservation that was enabled by some visionary legislation, HB453: Great Salt Lake Revisions, led by Speaker Mike Shultz, Sen. Scott Sandall and Rep. Casey Snider.
This agreement is historic in several ways. Compass Minerals will make a water-rights donation to the state of over 200,000 acre-feet annually as part of the agreement. While this is not new water to the lake, it ensures that water that could have been consumed under existing water rights is instead kept in the lake for conservation and preservation. This helps to ensure that diversions from the lake cannot grow in the future.
Compass Minerals has also committed to managing their brine withdrawals from the North Arm of the Great Salt Lake based on progressive consumption caps directly tied to lake-level elevations supported by the Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan. When lake levels are in the healthy range, they can withdraw up to their remaining existing water right. However, in years with lower lake levels, they have committed to reducing their water use, even to the point of suspending consumptive withdrawals entirely if the lake reaches critically low levels.
For example, if the lake is below the intermediate target elevation established in the Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan (4,195 feet), then Compass has agreed to leave 78,000 acre-feet of water in the lake that they could have previously diverted. That amount roughly compares to half of Deer Creek Reservoir.
In addition to these measures, Compass Minerals has agreed to permanently return nearly 65,000 acres of leased land around the Great Salt Lake back to the state, withdrawing that land from future mineral leasing and returning it to the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Land’s stewardship. This move ensures that significant tracts of land around the lake are preserved and protected for future generations.
The voluntary nature of these agreements allows for flexibility and innovation. It encourages companies to take proactive steps, ensuring that the water conserved by farmers, businesses, governments and citizens reaches the Great Salt Lake and stays there.
This is essential not only for the health of the lake but also ensures balance in the productive use of our natural resources.
The Commissioner’s Office continues to work with stakeholders across the state to identify ways to conserve water and ensure it makes it to the lake. Restoring the lake to healthier levels will take years, and it will take participation from everyone to protect it.
I urge other companies to follow Compass Minerals’ example and commit to similar agreements. Together, we can create a future where the Great Salt Lake thrives, supporting a vibrant ecosystem and a prosperous economy.
(Brian Steed) Brian Steed is the first Commissioner of the Great Salt Lake. He was appointed by Gov. Spencer Cox in 2023.
Brian Steed is the first commissioner of the Great Salt Lake. He was appointed by Gov. Spencer Cox in 2023.
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