A group of 32 environmentalists and conservationists issued an urgent warning.According to the data, since 1850
Great Salt Lake provides habitatfor 10 million migratory birds and brings Utah about $2.5 billion a year in economic activity. But after a record drying rate since 2020, it is now 5.8m below the natural average.
According to the report, scientists and conservationistsblame for the excessive use of water regional alfalfa and hay farms, which use 74% of the total volume of diverted lake water to irrigate fields. To save the lake, it is necessary to reduce the total water consumption by 30-50% as soon as possible.
Also, the rapid drying of the lake poses a serious danger to both the environment and human health.At its bottom, there is toxic dust mixed with hazardous metals such as antimony, copper, zirconium, and arsenic.If the lake dries up, it will rise and be carried away by gusts of wind.damage to crops, degrade the soil, melt the snow and , if inhaled, increase the dustrisk of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, heart disease and cancer.According to the report, dust from the Great Salt Lake has already been reported in southern Utah and Wyoming.
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On the cover: Great Salt Lake, Utah, Wikimedia Commons