Water Issues in Utah

House Concurrent Resolution 10, calling for more information on the ecological and economic impacts of Bear River development on the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, was met with skepticism from some scientists who believe Utah lawmakers are ignoring the research that already exists — and that the real need isn't more research but action.  Passed on Feb. 15, the resolution is designed to address the dire state of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, outlining the ecological and economic benefits of the lake and calling for more informed policy and management suggestions. The benefits include the impact of lake effect snow on snowpack accumulation, the preservation of wetland habitat for wildlife, the estimated $1.3 billion annual contribution to Utah’s economy and more. The detailed account of the Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem services paints a picture of a legislature looking to preserve and protect the lake and its habitat. However, the resolution’s call for m...

Utah’s second winter rain system blew into the state on Tuesday, continuing to bring scattered showers and seasonally warm temperatures throughout the state; a moisture conveyer belt with its origin in the tropics is to blame. Atmospheric rivers are exactly what they sound like: rivers in the sky that ebb and flow, bringing moisture and heat from the equator to the midlatitudes. They have been popularized with colloquial names like “Hawaiian Fire Hose” and “Pineapple Express,” serving as inspiration for the name of a marijuana strain and Seth Rogan’s popular movie. These events are common and crucial for the transport of tropical moisture to extra-tropical regions around the world. In any season, there are anywhere from 6 to 10 tributaries flowing out of the Earth’s largest atmospheric water source: the equator. While the appropriate name for these moisture conveyer belts is still under debate, the image provided by the term atmospheric river is useful to thi...