HB 491, which was passed during the 2023 Legislative General Session, called for the creation of the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and required the preparation of a strategic plan applying “a holistic approach that balances the diverse interests related to the health of the Great Salt Lake….”
The plan, which was released on Jan. 15, 2024, represents an initial strategy to more effectively protect the lake while balancing the other ecological, economic and societal interests surrounding the lake. The lake is a dynamic system, and its management must also be dynamic. The plan serves as a roadmap and will be revisited regularly and adjusted to reflect the latest data and meet new challenges and opportunities. The strategy includes short-term (within the next year), medium-term (1-5 years) and long-term (6 to 30 years) actions.
As outlined in HB 491, the strategic plan helps ensure coordination of the work taking place among the many stakeholders who work on lake issues and calls for:
- Coordinating the efforts of a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders and ensuring robust public engagement on issues related to the lake
- Utilizing the best available science and data and adjusting as new information is discovered
- Getting more water to the lake and ensuring a sustainable water supply while balancing competing needs, including human health and quality of life, a healthy ecosystem and economic development
- Conserving water across different sectors (M&I, industrial and agricultural), including quantification of water savings and shepherding saved water to the lake
- Protecting air and water quality
