Drought in the United States: the Great Salt Lake of Utah at an all-time low

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Utah's Great Salt Lake reached its lowest level on record this week, victim like all of the western United States of a chronic drought exacerbated by climate change, announced the local authorities, who are concerned about the impact of the phenomenon on the economy and the environment. 

The level of the lake, one of the largest salt lakes on the continent American, fluctuates naturally with seasons and rainfall. But never had it been so low since measurements began in 1847, with the arrival of the first Mormons in the Salt Lake City region.

This historic record was broken for the first time in October 2021, the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS) said in a press release.

“It is not the kind of record we love to break,” said Utah Natural Resources Director Joel Ferry in the joint statement.

“Urgent action is needed to help protect and preserve this essential resource. It is clear that the lake has problems,” he insists.

Based on past readings, “the level of the lake will likely continue to drop until the fall or early winter, when the amount of water entering the lake will equal or exceed its losses. by evaporation,” explains the Institute of Geophysics.

 According to estimates by the authorities of Utah, the Great Salt Lake contributes annually to the tune of 1.3 billion dollars to the local economy, whether it is the mining industry, fish farming or tourist activities.

More worrying, the reduction of the lake also threatens many species of migratory birds that stop there and it could also have health repercussions for the local population.

Scientists have recently warned of sediments rich in arsenic particles that line the bottom of the lake. They could be carried by the wind and eventually poison humans who breathe them in if the surface of the lake drops excessively.

Virtually all of the western United States is plagued by a exceptional drought which reduces the flow of rivers and dramatically lowers the level of lakes and reservoirs.

Climate scientists explain that there have already been droughts lasting for more than twenty years in the region . But the phenomenon, now combined with rising temperatures largely caused by human activities, is transforming the region.