crs_reports: R48928

Congressional Research Service reports with summaries, authors, and topic classifications.

Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API

This data as json

id title publish_date update_date status content_type authors topics summary pdf_url html_url
R48928 Restoring the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem 2026-04-30T04:00:00Z 2026-05-02T05:52:57Z Active Reports Charles V. Stern, Anna E. Normand, Laura Gatz, Eric P. Nardi, Pervaze A. Sheikh   The Great Salt Lake—located in Utah—is the largest saline lake in the United States. The Great Salt Lake supports wetland habitat for shorebirds, migratory birds, and waterfowl. The lake also supports several economically important activities for the region, including tourism, recreation, the brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) industry, and mineral extraction. Over the past two decades, water levels in the lake have decreased, largely due to less water flowing into the lake, drought, and increasing temperatures. In October 2022, water levels in the lake were measured at record lows. In the past three years, water levels have risen, but they are still at levels considered harmful for the ecosystem. Concern over sustained low water levels in the Great Salt Lake is shared by stakeholders and some Members of Congress due to the economic, environmental, and associated health impacts of low water levels, among other concerns. Decreasing water levels and increased salinity can adversely affect the lake’s ecosystem, disrupting fish and wildlife populations and exposing dry lake bed to the air. In some areas, exposed lakebed contains toxic sediments. Winds and dust storms can aerosolize soils and transport toxins to areas inhabited by humans, potentially leading to health issues. The State of Utah is spearheading efforts to increase water flows to the Great Salt Lake and restore the ecosystem in and around the lake. The state established the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner in 2023 and tasked the commissioner to create a plan for restoring the lake. In 2024, the commissioner released The Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan, which aims to restore the lake while balancing ecological, economic, and societal interests. The state government also implemented regulations that aim to maintain water flows into the lake and several measures to address water conservation that aim to help the lake retain or receive more water. One federal government initiative by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and some national-level programs address ecosystem restoration and water levels in the Great Salt Lake. In 2025, Reclamation provided $50 million to Utah to fund voluntary water transactions, water conservation, and ecosystem restoration to benefit the lake. The Trump Administration requested $1.0 billion for the Department of the Interior (DOI) for FY2027 to lead a comprehensive federal restoration program. The governor of Utah also requested funds from the Administration to restore the lake, and the Utah state legislature passed a resolution asking for federal involvement in lake restoration. Congress may consider several issues to address the restoration of the Great Salt Lake, including (1) whether to appropriate funding for science and monitoring to inform lake restoration, (2) whether to support state efforts to increase water flows to the lake, (3) monitoring and evaluating air quality and public health concerns caused by exposed lakebed, and (4) whether to authorize and appropriate funds for a federal or joint federal-state lake restoration initiative. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48928/R48928.2.pdf https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/HTML/R48928.html

Links from other tables