Utah Study Outlines Options and Costs to Control Great Salt Lake Dust

A new collaborative report released by researchers from the University of Utah, coordinated by the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy, offers the Utah Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality, and state policymakers a detailed assessment of the escalating risks associated with dust from the exposed lakebed of the Great Salt Lake. The study outlines how rising water levels are exposing more of the lake’s salt flats, increasing airborne particulate matter that can affect air quality, public health, and regional ecosystems.

The report quantifies the potential costs of controlling dust—including air‑quality mitigation, public health interventions, and infrastructure impacts—and contrasts them with the long‑term benefits of stabilizing lake levels. By maintaining higher water volumes, the lake’s natural sedimentation processes would be enhanced, reducing dust emissions and providing ecological and economic advantages such as improved water quality for downstream users and reduced health care burdens. The analysis also highlights the broader climate‑related drivers of lake level decline, offering a policy framework that balances immediate control measures with sustainable, long‑term lake management strategies.