SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After a recent meeting with experts in the field, the Office of the Great Lake has released a plan to combat the urgent issue of dust pollution from the Great Salt Lake.
The office’s commissioner reportedly hosted a dust forum with more than 50 experts in the field — from universities and related agencies — to discuss current research and the management of dust pollution from the lake and its effect on air, land, and water.
Experts joined in from the University of Utah, Utah State University, BYU, Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Health and Human Services, the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, the Division of Water Resources and the Division of Air Quality.
The office has come up with a list of priorities based on discussions with these experts, seeking to build upon or provide more funding for work that has already begun.
Here is a list of priorities provided the Office of the Great Salt Lake, including the agency to provide funding and the fiscal year (FY) in which they expect to secure funding:
-Invest in an improved monitoring network for dust including both particulate matter and filter monitors (Division of Air Quality, FY26).
-Invest in additional research into surface crust dynamics, dust-associated contaminants, and dust hot spots (Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands – Tech Team, FY26).
-Develop a better understanding of the health implications of dust from the Great Salt Lake including potential at-risk populations (Division of Water Resources – Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, FY25).
-Leverage and invest in remote sensing to be able to estimate and monitor crust and hot spot development, and identify areas for and monitor the effectiveness of mitigation (Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands – Tech Team, FY26).
-Develop models to help characterize and differentiate dust from the Great Salt Lake and other sources including spatial distribution and impact of the dust (i.e., West Desert, Sevier Dry Lake, gravel pits) (Division of Air Quality, FY26).
-Identify and test cost-effective mitigation measures while working to secure enough water to get the lake to the healthy, target range (Division of Water Resources – Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan to study mitigation measures, FY25 and Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands – Tech Team to fund pilot projects, FY26).
-Develop real-time public education tools (GSL Commissioner’s Office and Division of Water Resources – Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, FY25).
-Utilize quarterly Great Salt Lake Dust meetings to provide feedback on studies and implementation including monitoring plans and modeling (Division of Air Quality and GSL Commissioner’s Office, FY25).
“The Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner is committed to addressing the complex challenges posed by dust pollution from the Great Salt Lake,” the office stated in a press release. “By fostering collaboration among experts, investing in research and implementing evidence-based management strategies, we aim to safeguard public health, protect the environment and preserve the unique ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake.”
Still, Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed said in April that it’ll likely be years before the lake reaches a point where it could be considered ecologically healthy. Until then, several state agencies are working to better study the lake and get more water flowing into it.