In an interview with Fox 13 on Oct. 14, House Speaker Mike Schultz stated he is putting a pause on new water legislation this year.
Apparently, he wants to take this break to determine if previous water bills passed “are working.” He thinks we have progressed significantly in returning the lake to a healthy state.
The lake’s scientists and government leaders do not agree. Brian Steed, the commissioner of the Great Salt Lake, says we must be in a sprint mode for the next five years and then in marathon mode for 20-30 years to save the lake. This is not the time to pause.
There is too much at stake, including an increased number of dust storms that are more toxic than car emissions, a loss of $1.9 billion of revenue from lake industries, a loss of $1.2 billion from the ski industry and a loss of a stopover place of 12 million migrating birds.
The human population is expected to double in the next two decades in the Salt Lake Valley. Jordan Valley Water Conservancy (JVWC) is already out of easily accessible water (Cynthia Bee, JVWC Summit Vista presentation, May 2023) and our allotment of the Colorado River continues to be cut (see ibwc.gov, Aug. 15 — 2025 Colorado River Allocations Announced).
This is the time to start passing legislation to ensure the lake reaches its minimum healthy level within a defined timeframe and to continue to draft laws that reduce water consumption.
Tell your Utah legislators to pick up the pace and put some teeth into our laws to guarantee more water makes it to the lake. Before it is too late and too costly.
Meg Cartwright, Taylorsville
