For years, scientists and environmental leaders have warned about the catastrophic decline of the Great Salt Lake. New research reveals that the lake’s drying shores are now a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020, dried portions of the lakebed emitted approximately 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, according to a study published in the journal One Earth. This suggests that the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere, along with other shrinking saline lakes worldwide, could become major contributors to climate-warming emissions. This adds to the growing list of environmental consequences of the lake’s rapid decline.
Environmental and community groups sued Utah officials last year for failing to save the lake from irreversible collapse. Over recent decades, water has been increasingly diverted from the lake for irrigation, industry, and urban use. A report estimated that the lake has lost 73% of its water and 60% of its surface area, exacerbated by global warming and a mega-drought in the US southwest.
The declining lake has exposed a toxic lakebed containing arsenic, mercury, lead, and other harmful substances, posing health risks such as respiratory conditions, heart and lung disease, and cancers. The shrinking volume has also made the lake saltier, threatening native flies and brine shrimp, essential for the ecosystem that supports millions of migratory birds and other wildlife.
Soren Brothers, a climate change curator at Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum and lead author of the study, highlighted the local impacts on air quality and wildlife. He emphasized the importance of reducing carbon footprints as Salt Lake City works to cut emissions, pointing out that the drying lake adds to the problem. Other research has shown similar emissions from lakes like the Aral Sea, and more studies are needed to fully understand this issue.
John C. Lin, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Utah, stressed the need to preserve the lake. His research found that particulate pollution from the lakebed disproportionately affects Pacific Islanders and Hispanic residents. Preserving the lake would reduce dust pollution and address racial disparities in air pollution exposure.
As Utah prepares to host the Winter Olympics in 2034, there is a renewed focus on saving the Great Salt Lake. Researchers and the community are hopeful that this attention will drive efforts to reverse the lake’s decline and protect this critical environmental resource.