The largest natural lake west of the Mississippi is shrinking past its lowest levels in recorded history. But it may have some new allies in conservative Republican lawmakers.
One proposal would tackle water use in homes and businesses, by measuring outdoor water that’s considered some of the country’s cheapest. Another would pay farmers for sharing their water downstream, and a third would direct money from mineral-extraction royalties to benefit the lake.
The lake took a pummeling last year, with especially devastating effects on its microbialites, the Great Salt Lake’s version of a coral reef. The mushroom-like structures are formed by furry, deep green mats of microbes, which are the base of the lake’s food chain and main sustenance for brine shrimp.
Still, Vanden Berg is cautiously optimistic for the south arm, where a portion of the green microbialites did survive last year’s lake drop. “It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet,” he said. While most people have a water meter on the side of their homes, usage isn’t measured for secondary-water users.But small-scale projects have shown that simply being aware of how much they’re using makes people cut back by 20%, said GOP Utah Rep. Tim Hawkes.
And homes and businesses aren’t the only ones that need moisture. About 65% of the water on the Great Salt Lake watershed goes to agriculture. Farmers have a right to that water, and under historic laws they could lose the water they don’t use.
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