Green groups sue, say farmers are drying up Great Salt Lake

National and western environmental groups have sued the state of Utah, accusing it of not doing enough to prevent the Great Salt Lake from drying up.

Legal action: The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, demands an injunction compelling Utah’s leaders to create a comprehensive plan to save the lake.
* Despite the state lawmakers directing hundreds of millions of dollars towards water conservation last year, the plaintiffs have dismissed these efforts as insufficient “baby steps.”
* The Utah Governor’s office has refrained from commenting on the ongoing lawsuit.

Increasing threat: Recent research warns that the Great Salt Lake could dry up within the next five years.
* The primary cause is attributed to upstream water diversions for activities such as alfalfa farming and increased population consumption.
* Drought and climate change are also considered contributory factors, albeit smaller ones.
* Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, expressed concerns over the insufficient snowpack for the lake’s salvation.

Potential impacts: The drying lake poses numerous risks to both public health and the economy.
* Dust storms from the drying lakebed can cause health hazards due to toxic sediments.
* Moench warned of dire economic consequences if the lake disappears, as it could force a significant portion of the population to leave.
* Historically, the lake has helped to increase Utah’s winter snowpack and fed reservoirs due to lake effect storms.

View original article on NPR

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