Framing the Problem

Causes and Consequences of a Shrinking Great Salt Lake

By Kevin D. Perry

The Great Salt Lake ecosystem is on the verge of collapse due to unsustainably large water diversions, the ongoing megadrought, and climate change. Plummeting lake levels will result in a cascade of tremendous economic, ecological, and human health problems if no action is taken. One consequence of particular concern to the public is the potential for exposure to arsenic-laden dust emanating from the exposed portions of the Great Salt Lake lakebed. Framing the Problem explores how climate change has affected the lake, the consequences of low lake levels, and potential strategies for saving this ecological oasis.

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Kevin Perry is professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah. His research over the last decade has focused on of dust from the exposed portions of Great Salt Lake.