Great Salt Lake

Great Salt Lake photo courtesy of Charles Uibel

Photo courtesy of Charles Uibel at greatsaltlakephotos.com

A Great Salt Lake Water Quality Strategy

Background:

In April 2012 the Utah Division of Water Quality (UDWQ) introduced the Great Salt Lake Water Quality Strategy that defines a comprehensive water quality approach for protecting the water quality of Great Salt Lake and its surrounding wetlands. Key resource issues in this strategy include numeric criteria development, strategic monitoring and research, and a wetlands plan. Our public outreach program will facilitate feedback during implementation of core components and specify resource needs. This strategy is designed to combine the best available science with public participation and outreach.

UDWQ received public comments on the following Great Salt Lake Water Quality Strategy documents (Note: To access, click on the document):

Core Components 3: A Wetland Program Plan and 5: Resource Plan are under development.

UDWQ would like to thank the following people for submitting comments on the Great Salt Lake Water Quality Strategy:

Leland Myers, Central Davis Sewer District
Kelly Payne, Rio Tinto/Kennecott Utah Copper
Thomas Bosteels, Utah Artemia Association
US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
Joe Beaman, US Environmental Protection Agency, ERAB
Rob Duboc, Western Resource Advocates on behalf of Friends of Great Salt Lake
Jeff Salt, Great Salt Lakekeeper
Theron Miller, Farmington Bay/Jordan River Water Quality Council
Thomas Ward, Salt Lake City Corporation
Carleton DeTar, citizen and lifelong amateur naturalist
Owen Ken Covey, citizen

The comments were encouraging, helpful and will strengthen the approach.

UDWQ will review the public comments and prepare a response summary that will be posted on the website by the end of August 2012. All public comments received will be available online at this website.

In the news!

Water plan aims to keep Utah's salt lake 'Great'
By Judy Fahys, Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54479202-90/lake-salt-plan-utah.html.csp

New strategy under way to measure the health of the Great Salt Lake
By Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865557706/New-strategy-under-way-to-measure-the-health-of-the-Great-Salt-Lake.html

Great Salt Lake: Water Quality Strategy Targets Unique Lake Ecosystem
By Christine Osborne, Utah Department of Environmental Quality
http://www.deq.utah.gov/Newsletter/pastissues/2012/MayJune2012.pdf

Protecting the Great Salt Lake takes a united front
By Walt Baker, Utah Division of Water Quality
http://www.deq.utah.gov/Newsletter/pastissues/2012/MayJune2012.pdf

For more information regarding this subject, please contact Jodi Gardberg by phone at (801) 536-4372 or e-mail jgardberg@utah.gov

E-mail Alerts (Listservs)

To get regular updates and information on the UDWQ's Great Salt Lake Water Quality Strategy, please subscribe to our list serve at Subscribe-deq-GreatSaltLake@list.utah.gov. All that is needed is an actvie e-mail account. You may un-subscribe at any time. If you have questions concerning this service, please contact Frank Stehno at 801-536-4274 or via e-mail at fstehno@utah.gov.