New Great Salt Lake billboards show lake’s status
Feb 11, 2025, 7:00 AM
Water meets the southern shore of Great Salt Lake in Aug. 2024. (Mariah Maynes/KSL NewsRadio)
(Mariah Maynes/KSL NewsRadio)
Editor’s note: 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.
SALT LAKE CITY — New Great Salt Lake billboards display the lake’s current water level. They were designed and put up by Grow the Flow, a water policy and advocacy nonprofit.
Ben Abbott, the executive director of Grow the Flow, said the Great Salt Lake billboards were designed to raise awareness.
“The first step toward solving a problem is awareness,” Abbott said. “No billboard can capture all of the details of the health of the lake, but just seeing the current lake volume gives Utahns a way to access the situation.”
Great Salt Lake billboards echo data from USGS, Div. of Water Resources
Although the lake’s water levels are usually measured by elevation, the Great Salt Lake billboards will display a number reflecting the percentage full.
For example, Grow the Flow said the lake’s current elevation is 4,192.6 feet. That equals 37.5% full, and the percentage will be displayed on the billboard.
The lake currently sits at the same level it did in 2021, a year before it dipped to its record low.
The Great Salt Lake billboards have been designed to accompany dashboards designed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Division of Water Resources.
Per Grow the Flow, offering context to data in a way that is more public-facing could help Utah residents understand the situation near the lake. Eventually, it could help them observe progress.
“We believe more transparency and visibility will empower Utahns to advocate for practical solutions and encourage our state leaders to take the necessary next steps to ensure the lake’s rapid restoration,” said Jake Dreyfous, Grow the Flow’s managing director.
Dreyfous noted “positive momentum” in efforts to preserve the lake, but said “the work is far from over.”
Great Salt Lake billboards appear on routes in Salt Lake County. Grow the Flow did not provide specific locations.
“I believe that we are going to be the first community to save their saline lake,” Abbott said. “But that’s going to require a lot of creativity and investment.”
Related: New study says Utahns, especially farmers, need to cut water use by 35% to save Great Salt Lake
