Compass Minerals, State of Utah reach deal that will send water to Great Salt Lake
Sep 3, 2024, 1:52 PM
The shrinking water level shown along Great Salt Lake near Antelope Island, Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP )
(Rick Bowmer/AP )
SALT LAKE CITY — A new agreement will send 200,000 acre-feet of water to Great Salt Lake each year. The deal is between state land managers and Compass Minerals.
The company operates a solar evaporation pond on the lake. The press release said that the company has been operating on the lake for over 50 years.
“The donation from Compass Minerals will ensure that water delivered to the Great Salt Lake will remain in the lake. We look forward to the lasting benefit this will make toward the health and sustainability of the lake for generations to come,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.
Utah, Compass Minerals agreement
A March 2024 term sheet helped establish the framework for the agreement.
As part of the agreement, Compass Minerals will manage its remaining water based on lake level elevations.
According to Jamie Barnes, the director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, Compass Minerals will be allowed to use as much water as it currently owns the rights to when lake levels are high.
When lake levels are low, they will decrease their water usage or suspend it.
Additionally, Barnes said that the company has also given up nearly 65,000 acres of leased land near Great Salt Lake. Mineral leasing on the plot will cease. The Department of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands will care for it.
The road for the agreement was paved by H.B. 453, a bill meant to aid in Great Salt Lake conservation efforts.
Per the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, H.B. 453 directed the state water engineer to develop a distribution plan for Great Salt Lake water. Additionally, it provided a tax incentive for companies that voluntarily reduce their water use.
“The Great Salt Lake is a vital ecosystem and economic engine that we must all work to protect, and Compass Minerals stands with the many diverse stakeholders contributing toward the preservation of this globally significant resource,” said Edward C. Dowling, Jr., the president and CEO of Compass Minerals.
