Immediate Opportunities to Build on State and Partner Efforts for Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Restoration

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently released a comprehensive report highlighting actions taken to date to restore the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, along with several policy opportunities for Congress to consider. The report adds to growing national attention on the health of the Great Salt Lake and its associated habitat for people and birds, including the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget request of $1 billion for a federal restoration program at the lake. Audubon is a long-time champion and leader at Great Salt Lake, and stands ready to work with partners at the federal, state, and local levels to help find durable solutions for the lake. The findings of the CRS report can help make these solutions—and the resources needed to implement them—a reality.  

The Great Salt Lake, the largest saline lake in the western hemisphere, provides important habitat for more than 12 million waterbirds each year, contributing $1.9 billion annually to Utah’s economy and supporting more than 7,700 jobs. Birds like Wilson’s Phalarope and Eared Grebe are uniquely dependent on Great Salt Lake for their migratory journeys and life cycles. For years, water levels at Great Salt Lake have been declining, hitting a historic low in 2022, and threatening regional air quality. Alongside its hemispheric importance to birds as a site within the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, the lake also holds national significance as a critical supplier to the global aquaculture industry. Audubon recognizes that solving these water challenges will require collective action, resources, and partnership with the state of Utah and the federal government so that people, birds, and wildlife can thrive together. 

The CRS report first focuses on actions and commitments led by the state of Utah, including the recent commitment from Utah state and federal leaders, business executives, philanthropists, conservation organizations, and others to restore and protect the lake for generations to come through the Great Salt Lake 2034 Charter. The report notes significant planning, funding, and partnership from the state to date, such as through the Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan, Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, and Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust. Audubon’s leadership with the Trust (along with the Nature Conservancy), established with $40 million from the state of Utah, and participation in other initiatives, exemplifies how state-led, collaborative programs are important steps forward as the Great Salt Lake faces drought and increased water stress.  

On the federal side, CRS notes that, while the federal government is indirectly involved with Great Salt Lake restoration, there is no federal program for the lake similar to other large-scale aquatic ecosystem restoration initiatives in the United States. However, multiple federal agencies support varying programs and activities at Great Salt Lake, including the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Army Corps of Engineers. Notably, Reclamation announced in December 2024 that it will invest $50 million for drought mitigation in the Great Salt Lake Basin to be applied toward ecosystem restoration projects along the lake. Audubon has a long history of supporting federal programs that provide funding and resources to restore watersheds. Some of these programs, like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Chesapeake Bay Program, are housed within EPA and funnel funding to a variety of monitoring, restoration, and voluntary conservation programs. Others, like the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, are unique federal-state partnerships working to provide large-scale ecosystem restoration. Combining federal funding and leadership with state and local insights and support creates successful partnership opportunities to protect and restore these water resources around the country.  

As Congress considers how to support Great Salt Lake restoration, the CRS report points out the importance of science and monitoring to increase our understanding of water level and ecosystem changes. USGS has advanced some of these efforts through their Saline Lakes Program, authorized by Congress in 2022 to assess and monitor the hydrology of saline lakes, including the Great Salt Lake, and the migratory birds and other wildlife dependent on these habitats. While this USGS program is not specific to Great Salt Lake, it has supported important scientific research and monitoring to help address the lake’s challenges with water and salinity levels. Additionally, saline lakes and their associated wetlands form an interconnected network of habitat for shorebirds and waterbirds—meaning the health of Great Salt Lake has implications for the health of the network. The scientific insights from this USGS program, along with science and monitoring efforts conducted by the state of Utah and partners, are essential for effective conservation at Great Salt Lake. 

Additionally, the CRS report points out other areas where Congress could assist, from addressing water flows to the lake, managing air quality and health concerns caused by exposed lakebed, to establishing a federal restoration initiative with dedicated public funding for the lake. Through our work with the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, in partnership with the state, the Trust has been able to secure and increase water flows into the lake. For example, the CRS report points out that Congress could “direct Reclamation to continue or expand its existing efforts to compensate users for temporary or multiyear voluntary reductions in water diversion or consumptive water use” and provide appropriations to dedicate more water to the lake.  

The research and insights by CRS demonstrate an immediate opportunity to build on the multiple federal, state, tribal, local, and partner efforts across the Great Salt Lake Basin to better coordinate, invest, and work together to implement restoration activities and help reverse the decline of the lake. Audubon is excited to see this report and its insights come at a critical time.