Can we pump ocean water to the Great Salt Lake? Utah lawmakers will study that idea
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah lawmakers will study the possibility of a pipeline to bring water from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Salt Lake.
During the Utah Legislative Water Development Commission meeting Tuesday, lawmakers voted to include that in their list of items to study over the next few months before the legislative session next year.
“Dire times call for dire measures,” said Rep. Carl Albrecht (R-Richfield). “Water’s going to become pretty valuable for drinking, sewer, and irrigation. We run pipelines all over this country full of gas and oil and whatever.”
Low water levels at the lake amid the state’s historic drought are highly concerning with serious economic, ecological, and environmental consequences.
Albrecht said some might think this is a “crazy idea,” but he said it’s a “subject that might have some merit.”
Other Republican lawmakers on the commission agreed.
“It’s really an all-of-the-above option right now,” said Rep. Joel Ferry (R-Brigham City). “We’ve got to be doing everything we can. There’s no silver bullet to the huge problem we find ourselves in, and tough times are ahead.”
But Rep. Joel Briscoe (D-Salt Lake City) said the lake's shrinking water levels are the result of climate change over decades, and changing behavior is the more prudent choice.
"While we deal with the effects of the changing climate, why don't we be responsible and channel some of that Utah pioneer spirit we like to talk about and tackle the original problem?" Briscoe told KUTV 2News. "Isn't that the Utah Way?"
Utah lawmakers appropriated $40 million during the last legislative session aimed at maintaining or improving water flow to the lake, although the Utah Rivers Council had criticized the measure for not doing enough to permanently protect the lake.
