'The Fluctuating Water Levels of the Great Salt Lake '
Plenary Speaker |
Abstract: |
The lake level elevation of the Great Salt Lake has varied tremendously in recent decades. In 1986 the lake reached a record high of 4,212 feet and twenty years later, in 2016, lake reached the historic low of 4,191 feet. According to Utah State statute, the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is responsible for the preparation and implementation of “a comprehensive plan that deals with strategies that deal with a fluctuating lake level.” In 2013 the Division developed a management plan that did just that. The Great Salt Lake Comprehensive Management Plan examines how the ecosystem, infrastructure and industry are impacted at a range of lake levels and provides resource-specific management strategies at different lake elevations. The implementation of the 2013 Plan has led to a more detailed exploration into how changes in water management and availability in the Great Salt Lake Watershed can impact the lake’s water levels and salinity. |
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PRESENTER(S):
Laura Vernon -
Bio: Laura Vernon is a Land Use Planner for the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Over the last 15 she has worked with federal, state, and local governments and industry leaders on contemporary planning and environmental policy issues in the West. Her education and professional experience focuses on land use planning, public involvement, socioeconomic analyses and project management. Having served as the project manager for the Great Salt Lake Management Plan, she is currently overseeing completion of the Great Salt Lake Integrated Water Resources Management Model and the Bear River Comprehensive Management Plan.
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