SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake and surrounding wetlands will be the recipients of over 3 billion gallons of water in what is being called a strategic water release from Willard Bay.
According to the Great Salt Lake Commissioner's Office, the release stems from ongoing construction at Pineview Reservoir, which was drained over the summer to replace a 6.4-mile transmission pipeline. During the pipeline project, the water drained from the reservoir was directed to Willard Bay.
In all, 3.26 billion gallons of water will be sent to the lake.
The release of nearly 10,000 acre-feet of water will come during peak bird migration and equals about 4,934 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
“This water release highlights the crucial importance of collaboration to support and sustain the Great Salt Lake. The health of the lake is bigger than all of us, and it will take all of us continuing to work together to help restore it,” said Great Salt Lake Commissioner Hannah Freeze.
Pineview Reservoir water levels dropping impacts businesses in Ogden Valley:
On Tuesday, the Great Salt Lake was just 29.7% full and 8.4 feet below its minimum healthy level, according to Grow the Flow. Currently, 57.1% of the lakebed is exposed, equaling 1227.5 square miles.
“Releasing water flows to Willard Spur — especially in fall — is crucial to preserving Great Salt Lake’s health,” said Marcelle Shoop, Executive Director of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust.
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.