SALT LAKE CITY — To help control salinity levels in the Great Salt Lake, the state of Utah is exploring changes to the roadway berm.
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will commission a study to examine whether there is a better way than simply taking out heavy equipment to pick up and throw rocks into the water, up and down the berm. The berm, on the Union Pacific causeway that divides the north and south arms of the lake, has become a critical part of salinity management for the lake and its ecosystem.
“From the moment in 2022, when we reached that threshold which was quite scary, had some negative impacts on the ecosystem and was getting to the point where we really needed to take action, the berm has been the tool that has allowed us to get to that point it’s been good,” Ben Stireman, deputy director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, told FOX 13 News on Wednesday.
The difference is visible. The saltier north arm is pink and has become famous in its own right. The South Branch is where rivers flow into it and people, wildlife and industry depend on the Great Salt Lake and a healthier ecosystem. The lake itself fell to a record low in 2022 as a result of water diversions, drought and a changing climate. A shrinking lake poses an ecological threat to Utah with reduced snowpack, toxic dust and impacts to public health, wildlife and the economy. In response to the crisis, the berm was used to help balance salinity and prevent total ecological collapse.
This year, the Utah State Legislature authorized $500,000 for a study on the berm.
“A new engineering solution would allow us to manage those flows better, we could measure them better, we can forecast and predict better and try to decide what would be the best way to manage the salt load in the north arm and the flows to the north arm,” Stireman said.
But Stireman added that it’s very possible nothing will be done.
Meeting with reporters Wednesday, the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office said the berm study could be helpful. The commissioner’s office is responsible for enacting rescue plans for the lake.
“What are the options? What are the different ideas for replacing the berm or being able to more adaptively manage the salt and the water between the two arms,” said Tim Davis, deputy commissioner of the Great Salt Lake.
The study is expected to be completed by the end of this year. If the state moves forward with the berm redesign, any funding for it will have to be authorized by the legislature in its 2025 session that begins in January.
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake and what can be done to address the difference before it’s too late. . Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.
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