ENVIRONMENT – The month of July was a record for the Great Salt Lake in Utah, United States. Since the US Geological Survey began recording the water level in 1847, it has never been so low as you can see in the video at the top of the article. The record was set on July 3 when it fell to 1277 km2.
The reason for this drought: climate change and human activity.” Rising temperatures have increased the need for water for plants and human use. As such, an increasing amount of water intended to flow into the lake was diverted for human interest,” says Richard Seager, a researcher at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Added to this is the drought, which has been intensified by climate change, and the water level is extremely low.
sediment, hazardous to health
The lake, the largest of the salt lakes in the United States, has lost almost half of its historical average surface area, exposing approximately 2,000 km2 of lake floor. It is almost as big as Mauritius. In addition, scientists have warned of the dangers of sediment at the bottom of the lake. Among them are calcium, sulfide and arsenic, three ingredients linked to cancer and birth defects. Exposed outdoors, carried by the wind or even becoming a dust storm, they could pose a health hazard to the premises.
“If you breathe in this dust for a long time, for example for decades or longer, it can lead to an increase in various types of cancer, such as lung cancer, bladder cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or others,” explains Kevin Perry, of the University of Salt and City.
Under pressure from locals, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed 11 bills related to conservation and water policy. But the longer-term solutions require agriculture, industry, and communities to reduce water use to sustain the lake.
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